OP HID I A. 



with the fourth, constitute the lower portion of the orbit; the anterior 

 portion being formed by the frontal. A subquadrangular postorbital 

 is situated between the fourth labial and the supraoculary plate, which 

 is subtriangular, and a little smaller than the vertex plate. The fifth 

 and sixth labials, smaller than the third and fourth, assume the shape 

 of the temporal shields, which are larger than the occipitals, and, con- 

 sequently, larger than the scales about the neck. There are, likewise, 

 six lower labials ; the third, fourth, and fifth being the largest, whilst 

 the sixth is the smallest. The symphyseal is quite small and entirely 

 enclosed by the first pair of labials. The subgular scales are longer 

 than broad, in which respect they differ from those of the abdomen, 

 which are broader than long. 



The neck is so slightly contracted that the head is almost continu- 

 ous with the body, which is thicker on its posterior than on its anterior 

 portion. The scales are smooth and shining, a little smaller on the 

 dorsal than on the abdominal region. They are subrhomboidal in 

 shape, longer than broad on the back, broader than long on the ab- 

 domen, and both dimensions nearly equal on the sides. There are 

 no abdominal scutellae, though the middle series of scales is slightly 

 larger than the adjacent series, but not different in shape. We count 

 twenty longitudinal series of scales across the middle region of the 

 body, and upwards of two hundred transversal ones from the nape to 

 the origin of the tail. The tail is very short and conical, exhibiting 

 six small subcaudal scutellae. The total length of the specimen de- 

 scribed is seventeen inches. 



Its color is lustrous-black above, with very faint traces of transverse 

 light bars covering thirteen dorsal series of scales, thus embracing the 

 back and the upper half of the sides, the lower half of which and the 

 abdomen, being white and black, in alternate transverse bands, some- 

 times interrupted upon the middle of the abdomen, the black being a 

 little broader than the white, and not in contiguity with the black of 

 the upper region. The head and the tip of the tail are black. There 

 is a white narrow ring continuous under the neck, and interrupted 

 above. A whitish spot is also to be observed upon the frontal plates. 



Loc. The specimen described was obtained at Singapore. 



