294 COLTTBRIB^. 



the eye ; one praeocular, usually in contact with the frontal ; two 

 postoculars ; temporals small, scale-like, 2 + 3 or 3+3; 9 upper 

 labials, third, fourth, and fifth entering the eye ; 4 or 5 lower 

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

 than the posterior. Scales smooth, in 17 rows. Ventrals 178- 

 202, obtusely angulate laterally ; anal undivided ; subcaudals 

 usually in two rows, sometimes simple*, 66-76. Coloration very 

 similar to that of L. striatus, viz., dark brown or black above, with 

 white cross-bands and white lineolations on the sides, and uniform 

 white below ; but the upper lip is brown, or white spotted with 

 brown. 



Total length 2 feet ; tail 5 inches. 



Hob. Travancore Hills (5000 feet), Anaimalai (4700 feet), Nilgiri 

 (5900 feet). 



351. Lycodon aulicus. 



Russell, Ind. Serp. ii, pi. xxxix. 



Coluber aulicus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 381. 



Lycodon aulicus, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 981 ; Giinth. Rept. B. I. 



id. Zool. Rec. 1870, p. 75 ; Jan, Icon. Ophid. 36, pi. iv, 



Theob. Cat. p. 199; Murray, Zool. Sind, p. 383. 

 Lycodon aulicus, part., Cantor, J. A. S. B. xvi, 1847, p. 915. 

 Tytleria hypsirhinoides, Theob. Cat. Rept. As. Soc. Mus. 1808, p. 66. 



Snout much depressed, with swollen lips, spatulate in the adult ; 

 eye rather small. Eostral much broader than long, just visible 

 from above ; internasals much shorter than the praifrontals ; 

 frontal usually shorter than its distance from the end of the snout 

 or than the parietals ; loreal elongate, not entering the eye ; one 

 prseocular, usually in contact with the frontal ; two postoculars ; 

 temporals small, scale-like, 2 + 3 or 3+3; 9 upper labials, third, 

 fourth, and fifth entering the eye ; 4 or 5 lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields, which are longer than the posterior. 

 Scales smooth, in 17 rows. Ventrals 183-209, obtusely angulate 

 laterally ; anal divided ; subcaudals 57-77, in two rows. Color- 

 ation variable ; uniform brown above, or with white transverse 

 bands, or with white reticulation ; upper lip uniform white, or with 

 brown spots ; lower parts uniform white. 



Total length 25 inches ; tail 4. 



Hab. India and Ceylon, Himalayas, Burma, Siam, Malay Penin- 

 sula, Java, Philippines, Timor. A common snake in India. 



352. Lycodon atropurpureus. 



Lycodon atropurpureus, Cantor, P. Z. S. 1839, p. 50. 

 Tetragonosoma atropurpureum, Giinth, Rept. B, I. p. 321 ; Theob. 

 Cat. p. 200. 



* Out of 15 specimens examined, 11 have all the subcaudals paired; two 

 have them in part simple (4|-gl ; 50} fl) ; and two have them all simple. Col. 

 Beddome mentions another specimen with 28||1. 



