Key to the I n do- Australian species. 



A. Scales in 19 rows. 



I. Scales smooth; anal divided I. C. porphyraceus p. 99. 



II. Scales keeled; anal entire. 



a. All caudal scales keeled .... 2. C melanurus p. 99. 



b. Outer caudal scales smooth T>- C. radiatus p. 101. 



B. Scales in 21 rows 4. C. erythrurus p. IO2. 



C. Scales in 23 27 rows. 

 I. Anal divided. 



a. Three labials entering the eye 5. C. janseni p. 102. 



b. Two labials entering the eye. 



1. Subcaudals 89 114 6. C. taeniurus p. 103. 



2. Subcaudals 122 157 7. C. oxycephalus p. 104. 



II. Anal entire. 



1. Three labials entering the eye 8. C. enganensis p. 105. 



2. Two labials entering the eye 9. C. subradiatus p. 106. 



i. Coluber porphyraceus Cantor. 



Coluber porphyraceus^ Cantor, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 51. 

 Coluber porphyraceus^ Boulenger, Cat. Sn. II 1894, p. 34 (s. syn.). 



Rostral more broad than deep, visible from above; inter- 

 nasals shorter than the praefrontals; frontal broad, as long as 

 or longer than its distance from the tip of the snout, shorter 

 than the parietals; loreai small, more long than deep; prae- 

 ocular large; two postoculars; temporals i + 2; eight upper 

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

 labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields; latter longer 

 than the posterior. Scales in 19 rows, smooth; ventrals 190 218, 

 rounded; anal divided; subcaudals 52 76. 



Red or reddish-brown above, with dark brown, black-edged 

 transverse bands; two longitudinal black lines along the body 

 and tail, sometimes indistinct anteriorly; head with a black 

 streak along the middle, another from the eye to the first 

 transverse band. Lower surface yellow. Length of head and 

 body 620 mm.; tail 140 mm. 



Habitat: Sumatra (Medan !, Brastagei on Battak Highlands !, 

 Alahan Pandjang, near Danau di Talang). Singapore; Malay 

 Peninsula; Andamans; Yunnan; Burma; Assam; E. Himalayas. 



2. Coluber melanurus Schlegel. 



Coluber melanurus, Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 1837, p. 141, pi. V, fig. n & 12. 



