INTRODUCTION. 
Tuts volume contains descriptions of 523 species of Snakes, 414 of 
which are represented in the National Collection by 3324 specimens. 
The general classification is the same as that followed in 1890, 
when dealing with the herpetological fauna of India * ; but I have 
been able to introduce some improvements in the arrangement 
of the genera. 
In order to render this Catalogue more useful to workers who 
have not access to the Collection, the lists of specimens have fre- 
quently been made to a certain extent descriptive of individual 
variations of scaling or coloration. For every specimen the numbers 
of ventral (V.) and caudal shields (C.) are given, and when necessary 
also the number of longitudinal rows of scales (Sc.). This will 
enable those who differ from the author in their estimation of specific 
characters to form a more correct idea of the material on which his 
views are based, and thus to judge better of the correctness or fallacy 
of his conclusions. 
For Snakes with paired subcaudals it is to be understood that the 
figures given refer to the number of pairs, not to the total number 
of shields. In describing the temporal scutellation I have, unless 
the contrary be stated, only given the numbers in the first two 
rows; for instance, temporals 1+-2 signifies that there is a single 
temporal in front, immediately followed by a pair of superposed 
shields, 24+3 meaning two superposed shields followed by three 
disposed in the same manner. In counting the number of longi- 
tudinal series of scales I have not, unless specially stated, chosen 
* ‘The Fauna of British India, Reptilia and Batrachia,’ Lond., 1890. 8vo, 
