6. ASPIDITES, 91 
small yellowish spots along the back; or brick-red with bluish, 
black-edged spots; young pinkish or yellowish, with purplish or 
reddish-brown markings ; lower parts yellowish white. 
Total length 1450 millim. ; tail 200. 
New Guinea. 
a. Cros 2 57; V. 227; Mt. Arfak. Hr. Bruijn [C.}. 
ee he (Sc. 61, 59; Mansinam. M. L. Laglaize [C.}. 
V. 240, 238 ; C. 84, 109). 
d. a aS 573 V. 237; N.W.New Guinea. M. A. Linden [C.]. 
86). 
e. 3 (Sc. 61; V. 237; . New Guinea. 
C. 87). 
6. ASPIDITES. 
Aspidiotes (non Bouché), Krefft, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 20, and 
Austral. Snakes, p. 33 (1869). 
Aspidites, Peters, Mon, Berl. Ac. 1876, p. 914. 
No premaxillary teeth. Anterior maxillary and mandibular 
teeth longest, gradually decreasing in size. Head slightly distinct 
from neck, with large symmetrical shields; nostril lateral, in a 
single nasal, which is separated from its fellow by a pair of inter- 
nasals; rostral rather large. Eye small, with vertical pupil. Body 
cylindrical; scales small, smooth. Tail moderate, not or scarcely 
prehensile ; subcaudals mostly in a single row. 
North Australia. 
1. Aspidites melanocephalus. 
Loe melanocephalus, Krefft, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864. p. 20, fig. ; 
inth. Ann. § Mag. N.H. (3) xviii. 1866, p. 29; , Austral. 
Sn. p. 33, pl. iii. (1869); Peters, Mon. Berl. Ae. 1876, p. 533. 
Rostral broader than deep, the portion visible from above half as 
long as its distance from the frontal; internasals as broad as long, 
shorter than the anterior prefrontals; posterior prefrontals just 
touching each other in front of the frontal; latter slightly Se 
than broad ; parietals subdivided into small shields ; a-large loreal ; 
two or three preoculars ; three or four postoculars ; eleven or 
twelve upper labials, sixth entering the eye. Scales in 53 rows. 
Ventrals 330; anal entire; subcaudals 64, only a few of which are 
divided. Light brown above, with darker cross bars, yellowish 
beneath ; head and neck jet-black above and below. 
Total length 2050 millim.; tail 220. 
North Australia, 
a, 2 (Se. 53; V. 330; Port Denison. G. Krefft, Esq. [P. 
C. 64). (Type.) } 
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