OS a a 
ee a eS ane 
24 COLUBRID. 
1. xi. fig. 5; Anders. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 178; Theob. Cat. 
t. Brit. Ind. p. 181 (1876). 
Rostral broader than deep; frontal a little longer than broad, 
shorter than its distance from the end of the snout or than the 
parietals; eye between four shields, viz., a preocular, a supraocular, 
a postocular, and a subocular ; loreal longer than deep ; one elongate 
anterior temporal, in contact with the postocular and the subocular ; 
five upper labials; three lower labials in contact with the anterior 
chin-shields, which are not longer than the posterior. Scales in 
19 rows. Ventrals 266-278; anal divided; subcaudals 56-64. 
Blackish above, with white transverse bands which widen towards 
the abdomen; these bands are very narrow in the typical form, 
wider in the var. dayana (spec. a), but constantly much narrower 
than the black interspaces; some white spots on the head; lower 
parts white, with greyish spots, the continuation of the dorsal 
bands ; these bands may form complete rings on the tail. 
Total length 830 millim.; tail 110. 
Mouth of the Moulmein River, Burma; Singapore; Borneo. 
a. 2 (V. 266; C. 57). es 
132. HIPISTES. 
Hipistes, Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 77 (1849); Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p.286 
(1864); Bouleng. Faun. Ind., Rept. p. 381 (1890), 
Bitia, Gray, 1. ¢. p. 63. 
Maxillary teeth 8 or 9, followed, after a short interspace, by a 
pair of slightly enlarged grooved teeth. Head small, not distinct 
from neck; eye minute, with vertically elliptic pupil; head-shields 
small, parietals broken up into numerous shields ; nostril a transverse 
slit between two nasals ; a single internasal, separating the nasals ; 
a loreal. Body elongate, slightly compressed ; scales smooth, 
without pits, juxtaposed or subimbricate, in 35 to 43 rows; ventrals 
narrow, with two sharp keels. ‘Tail short, feebly compressed ; sub- 
caudals in two rows. 
Coasts of Burma, Siam, and the Malay Peninsula, 
1. Hipistes hydrinus. 
a Aear is hydrina, Cantor, Cat. Mal. Rept. p. 104, pl. xl. fig. 4 
(1847). 
Bitia hydroides, Gray, Cat. p. 63 (1849). 
Hipistes fasciatus, Gray, |. ¢. p. 78. 
—— hydrinus, Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 287, pl. xxiv. fig. H (1864) ; 
Stoliezka, Journ. As, Soc, rie Say 1870, p. 207; Anders. 
Proe. Zool, Soc, 1871, p. 181; . Cat. Rept. Brit, Ind, p, 184 
(1876); Bouleng. Faun. Ind., Rept. p. 382, fig. (1890). 
Rostral nearly as deep as broad ; frontal narrow, twice as long as 
broad, as long as or a little longer than its distance from the end of 
