240 APPENDIX II 



is a lifjht brownish grey ; trunk crossed by thirteen, tail by four narrow, 

 equidistant, black cross-bars ; these are somewhat broader on the back 

 than on the sides, and indistinctly edged with white. A black band from 

 eye to eye and continued over the fifth and sixth labials. The black, 

 arrow-shaped spot on the neck is well-defined. Abdomen with munerons 

 square black spots, each occupying one-half or the whole of a ventral 

 scute. Snbcaudals xmiform white. 



One yoitng specimen measinres 8i inches, the tail being 2 inches long. 



12. Achalinus rufescens (Blgr.). One specimen, uniformly black, 



from Ichang. 



13. Ahlabes cliinensis, sp. n. 



This species belongs to that group of the genus of which Ablabes 

 vnelanocei^lialus is the type; it comes nearest to Ablabes hwmberti, 

 having, like that species, ten upper labial shields, the eighth of which is 

 exchided from the labial raargin. But it differs by having a longer tail 

 and by its less ornamented coloration. 



Scales in seventeen rows. One praeocular, two postoculars. The 

 occipital does not touch the lower postocular ; temporals 1 + 2, the anterior 

 in contact with both postoculars. A^entrals 182 ; of the tail nearly one- 

 half has been lost, the mutilated part being protected by tifty-tliree pairs 

 of subcaudals, so that the whole number may be estimated to have been 

 between eighty and ninety. UpiJer parts nearly uniform brownish grey, 

 the posterior part of the trunk indistinctly showing a series of whitish 

 spots along each side of the back. No black dots along the vertebral line. 

 The black cross bands between the eyes and on the neck are present as in 

 Ablabes humberti and Ablabes collaris, hut much less distinct. Abdomen 

 white, each ventral shield with a black dot on each side. 



One specimen was found by Mr. Pratt at Ichang ; its trmili measures 

 fifteen inches, and its tail was probably 5^ inches in length. 



14. Coluber rufo-dorsatus (Cant.). Common in the vicinity of 



Kiu-kiang. 



15. Ela'pliis dione (Pall.), Vicinity of Kiu-kiang. 



16. Elapliifi sauromatcs (Pall.). Common near Kiu-kiang. Mr. 



Boulenger has discovered that Pliyllopliis carinata (Gthr.) 

 is the young of this species. 



17. Zaocys dhumnacles (Cant.). Common near Kiu-kiang. 



18. Ptyas korros (Eeinw). One specimen from Kiu-kiang. 



