﻿576 
  On 
  a 
  new 
  Snake 
  from 
  Northern 
  China. 
  

  

  LXVII. 
  — 
  Description 
  of 
  a 
  neio 
  Snake 
  of 
  the 
  Genus 
  Coluber 
  

   from 
  Northern 
  China. 
  By 
  G. 
  A. 
  Boulenger, 
  F.R.S. 
  

  

  (Published 
  by 
  permission 
  of 
  the 
  Trustees 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  Museum.) 
  

  

  Coluber 
  halli. 
  

  

  Snout 
  rounded, 
  feebly 
  prominent; 
  cantlms 
  rostralis 
  distinct, 
  

   loreal 
  region 
  concave 
  ; 
  eye 
  moderate, 
  half 
  length 
  of 
  snout. 
  

   Rostral 
  broader 
  than 
  deep, 
  the 
  portion 
  visible 
  from 
  above 
  

   measuring 
  about 
  one-fourth 
  its 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  frontal 
  ; 
  

   internasals 
  a 
  little 
  broader 
  than 
  long, 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  prsn- 
  

   frontals; 
  frontal 
  once 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  or 
  once 
  and 
  three-fifths 
  as 
  long 
  

   as 
  broad, 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  its 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  rostral, 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  

   the 
  parietals 
  ; 
  loreal 
  a 
  little 
  longer 
  than 
  deep 
  ; 
  prffiocular 
  

   large, 
  single 
  or 
  divided, 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  subocular 
  below 
  it; 
  

   two 
  postoculars 
  ; 
  temporals 
  2 
  or 
  3 
  + 
  3 
  or 
  4; 
  eight 
  upper 
  

   labials, 
  fourth 
  and 
  fifth 
  entering 
  the 
  eye 
  ; 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  lower 
  

   labials 
  in 
  contact 
  with 
  the 
  anterior 
  chin-shields, 
  which 
  are 
  as 
  

   long 
  as 
  or 
  a 
  little 
  longer 
  than 
  the 
  posterior. 
  Scales 
  in 
  25 
  

   rows, 
  very 
  strongly 
  keeled, 
  of 
  outer 
  row 
  smooth. 
  Ventrals 
  

   not 
  angulate 
  laterally, 
  173 
  ; 
  anal 
  divided 
  ; 
  subcaudals 
  58 
  ( 
  ? 
  ) 
  

   to 
  65 
  ( 
  (5" 
  ). 
  Brown 
  above 
  ; 
  vertebral 
  region 
  lighter, 
  with 
  a 
  

   series 
  of 
  large 
  transversely 
  elliptical 
  spots 
  of 
  a 
  darker 
  brown 
  

   with 
  a 
  fine 
  blackish 
  edge 
  ; 
  a 
  lateral 
  series 
  of 
  much 
  smaller 
  

   spots, 
  alternating 
  with 
  the 
  above 
  ; 
  a 
  dark 
  brown 
  band 
  from 
  

   eye 
  to 
  eye 
  across 
  the 
  pr^efrontals 
  and 
  a 
  broader 
  one 
  from 
  the 
  

   eye 
  to 
  the 
  last 
  upper 
  labial 
  ; 
  further 
  markings 
  on 
  the 
  back 
  

   of 
  the 
  head 
  expanding 
  into 
  two 
  large 
  blotches 
  on 
  the 
  occiput 
  

   and 
  nape 
  ; 
  upper 
  lip 
  yellowish, 
  spotted 
  or 
  speckled 
  with 
  

   brown 
  ; 
  lower 
  parts 
  yellowish, 
  with 
  small 
  greyish 
  spots 
  ; 
  

   larger 
  blackish 
  spots 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  belly. 
  

  

  Total 
  length 
  940 
  mm.; 
  tail 
  180. 
  

  

  Two 
  specimens, 
  male 
  and 
  female, 
  were 
  found 
  in 
  rocky 
  

   gullies 
  in 
  the 
  Chikfeng 
  (Hata) 
  District, 
  N. 
  Chihili 
  Province, 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  L. 
  Hall, 
  and 
  presented 
  by 
  him 
  to 
  the 
  British 
  

   Museum. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  is 
  allied 
  to 
  C. 
  dione. 
  Pall., 
  which 
  was 
  found 
  

   in 
  the 
  same 
  district 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Hall. 
  It 
  is 
  easily 
  distinguished 
  

   by 
  its 
  strongly 
  keeled 
  scales. 
  

  

  