362 COLUBEID^. 



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

 one praeocular, extending to the upper surface of the head ; two 

 postoculars ; temporals 2+3 or 3+3; upper labials 8, third, 

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

 the anterior chin-shields, which are about as long as the posterior. 

 Body strongly compressed ; scales in 21 rows, disposed obliquely ; 

 scales of the vertebral row considerably enlarged but longer than 

 broad, except on the posterior part of the body. Ventrals 249-252 ; 

 anal entire; subcaudals 124-133. Uniform green above, the skin 

 between the scales black ; uniform greenish yellow below. 



Total length 4| feet ; tail 13 inches. 



Hab. Assam, Cachar, and Sikhim. 



451. Dipsas forstenii. 



i, p. 



Dipsas" forsteni, Glinth. Rept. B. I. ~p. 309 ; Anders. P. Z. S. 

 1871, p. 187 ; Stolteka, J. A. S. B. xl, pt. 2, 1871, p. 439 ; Theob. 

 Cat. p. 198. 



Anterior palatine and mandibular teeth considerably larger than 

 the others. Eye about as long as its distance from the nostril ; 

 rostral broader than deep ; internasals much shorter than the prse- 

 frontals ; frontal nearly as long as its distance from the end of 

 the snout, shorter than the parietals ; loreal square or deeper than 

 long ; one prseocular, extending to the upper surface of the head ; 

 two or three postoculars ; temporals very small and numerous ; 

 8 to 11 upper labials, third, fourth, and fifth, or fourth, fifth, and 

 sixth, entering the eye ; 3 or 4 lower labials in contact with the 

 anterior chin-shields, which are about as long as the posterior. 

 Body compressed ; scales in 25 or 27 rows, disposed obliquely, 

 vertebral row feebly enlarged. Ventrals 259-270 ; anal entire ; 

 subcaudals 106-131. Brown above, with more or less regular 

 angular black cross bars, with or without white spots between 

 them ; a black band from the frontal shield to the nape and 

 another on each side behind the eye; lower parts white, uniform 

 or spotted with brown. 



Total length 4 feet 10 inches ; tail 1 foot. 



Hab. Bengal, base of Himalayas in Sikhim, Bnndelkhand, Bom- 

 bay Ghats, Anaimalai Hills, Ceylon. 



Genus ELACHISTODON, 

 Eeinhardt, Overs. Dansk. Vid. Selsk. Fork 1863, p. 206. 



Teeth few and extremely minute, with a pair of posterior 

 maxillary grooved fangs. A series of oesophageal teeth. Head 

 scarcely distinct from neck ; eye rather small, with A'ertically 

 elliptic pupil ; head-shields normal ; posterior nasal deeply con- 

 cave. Body elongate, somewhat compressed. Scales smooth, in 

 15 rows, vertebral row enlarged. Subcaudals in two rows. 



