as long as or shorter than its distance from the tip of the 

 snout, much shorter than the parietals; loreal more long than 

 deep; two (one) prae- and two postoculars; temporals i + 2, 

 2 + 2 or 2 + 3; seven or eight (9) upper labials, third and 

 fourth (fourth and fifth) entering the eye; four or five lower 

 labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields; latter as long 

 as or longer than the posterior. Scales in 17 rows; ventrals 

 170 230; anal entire; subcaudals 68 105 pair. 



Brown above; sides sometimes whitish, with black edges on 

 the scales (S. reticulatus); upper lip yellowish. Lower parts 

 yellow, often a brown spot at the outer end of each ventral. 

 Length of head and body 890 mm.; tail 250 mm. 



Type-specimen examined in the Leiden Museum. 



Habitat: Samao!; Ternate; Halmahera; Salawatti; Misol; 

 Ceram; Buru; Ambon!; Kei Islands!; Aru Islands; New Guinea 

 (Fak Fak, Sorong, Rubi, Amberbaki, Mansinam, Dorei, Passim, 

 Jobi, Mafoor, Manokwari, lake Sentani, Setekwa!- and Mimika 

 rivers, Utakwa river 2500 feet, Lorentz river!, Fly river!, 

 Hula, Haveri, Bara Bara, Mt. Victoria in Owen Stanley Range, 

 Madew on St. Joseph river 2 3000 feet, Samarai Island, Sepik 

 river, Tami, Bogadjim, Stephansort, Bongu, Sattelberg, Valise 

 Island); Schouten Islands (Mysore). Ferguson and Trobiand 

 Islands; Woodlark Island; Islands of Torres Straits; Cape York; 

 Bismarck Archipelago. 



3. Stegonotus batjanensis (Gthr.). 



Coluber (Lielaphis) batjanensis^ Gunther, Ann. Nat. Hist. (3) XV 1865, p. 93, 



pi. II, fig. A. 

 Stegonotus batjanensis, Boulenger, Cat. Sn. I 1893, p. 368. 



Rostral much more broad than deep, visible from above; 

 internasals about half as long as the praefrontals ; frontal as 

 long as its distance from the tip of the snout, much shorter 

 than the parietals; loreal more long than deep; one prae- and 

 two postoculars; temporals I + 2 or 2 + 2; eight upper labials, 

 third to fifth entering the eye; five lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields; latter as long as or longer than 

 the posterior. Scales in 17 rows; ventrals 200 236; anal entire; 

 subcaudals 78 87 pair. 



Dark brown or grey above; head and sides of head yellowish 

 or orange with black-edged shields. Lower surface yellowish, 



