318 COLUBKID.T;. 



longer than its distance from the end of the snout, as long as the 

 parietals ; no loreal, the posterior nasal sometimes forming a 

 suture with the prseocular ; praaocular single ; two postoculars ; 

 temporals 1+2; usually 7 (rarely 6) upper labials, third aud 

 fourth entering the eye, sixth frequently excluded from the labial 

 border and taking the position of a lower anterior temporal ; 4 

 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin- shields ; posterior 

 chin-shields one half to two thirds the length of the anterior. 

 Scales in 17 rows. Yentrals 143-162; anal divided; subcaudals 

 28-36. Pale brown or greyish above, with a series of paired large 

 oval or rhomboidal blackish spots edged with yellowish, which are 

 usually united mesially ; a large, more irregular spot, below each 

 dorsal spot ; head-markings consisting of a cresceiitic anterior 

 cross-band, passing through the eye, an oblique baud on each side, 

 from the parietal to below the angle of the mouth, and a broad 

 angular baud on the nape, top of head frequently with black vermi- 

 culations. Lower surface black and yellow, the two colours in 

 nearly equal proportions, except under the tail, where the yellow 

 predominates, or where sometimes black spots are entirely wanting. 



Total length 19 inches ; tail 2-5. 



Hob. "Western parts of the Madras Presidency ; this species 

 occurs in the Nilgiris up to 7000 feet. 



387. Oligodon travancoricus. 

 Oligodou travaiicoricuin, Beddome, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 685. 



Nasal divided ; portion of rostral seen from above as long as its 

 distance from the frontal; suture between the internasals 

 shorter than that between the prsefrontals ; frontal longer than 

 its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals ; 

 no loreal, the posterior nasal forming a suture with the praeocular ; 

 prseocular single : two postoculars ; temporals 1 + 2; upper labials 

 7, third and fourth entering the eye, sixth excluded from the labial 

 margin ; 3 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields ; 

 posterior chin-shields two thirds the length of the anterior. Scales 

 in 17 rows. Ventrals 145 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 37. Greyish 

 above, with 25 black, white-edged cross-bands on the body, and 

 five pairs of spots on the tail; three broad black white-edged 

 transverse bands on the head, viz., a frontal, an occipital, and a nu- 

 chal, connected longitudinally on the median line ; a small white spot 

 in the middle between the parietals. Lower surface white with 

 large square black spots. 



Total length 9-5 inches ; tail 1-5. 



Hob. The single known specimen is from the Tinnevelly Hills, 

 3000 feet. 



388. Oligodon affinis. 



Oligodon affinis, Giinth. A. M. N. H. (3) ix, 1862, p. 58 ; id. Rept. 

 B. 1. p. 209, pi. xix, fig. B ; Theob. Cat. p. 149. 



