from the Bombay Presidency. 18-3 



neck ; ventrals twice as large as the scales of the adjoining 

 series, from 146 to 148; subcaudals 11 pairs. Length 9-11 

 inches, girth 1^ inch. Black above, iridescent, with small, 

 irregular, mucli scattered, yellowish-white spots; upper and 

 lower labials yellow, a very narrow bright yellow line com- 

 mencing at the angle of the mouth and continued for \^ inch 

 along tlie tiunk, gradually diminishing to mere spots, which 

 mingle with those scattered over the body ; sometimes the 

 presence of the line may be detected along the entire length 

 of the body by an occasional group of confluent spots ; belly 

 uniform black, or with a few indistinct yellowish-white spots, 

 a very perfect bright yellow band along each side of the tail 

 and crossing the vent. 



Hob. Bombay ghats. 



For the series of specimens upon which the above descrip- 

 tion is founded I am indebted to my friend Mr. H. M. Phip- 

 son, Honorary Secretary of the Bombay Natural History 

 Society. There are in the British Museum two snakes with 

 155 ventrals collected by Dr. Leith in the Bombay Presi- 

 dency (the exact locality is not mentioned) which probably 

 belong to the above species, but unfortunately they are in 

 such indifferent condition that I cannot determine this point 

 with certainty. I was inclined to endorse the opinion ex- 

 pressed by Col. Beddome (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (5) xvii. 

 p. 17) that the Bombay form was identical with S. nilgherri- 

 ensis, though a very characteristic variety, but after much 

 consideration and the comparison of the specimens at my 

 disposal with an extensive series of that form and its varieties 

 1 have come to the conclusion that, according to the received 

 notions of a species, this must be considered distinct and not 

 merely a variety. Independently of the much smaller head, 

 the rostral is convex above and pointed, and chin-shields are 

 wanting between the lower labials and the ventrals. The 

 caudal disk is also longer and proportionally narrower, while 

 the scales contain a greater number of keels. 



Silyhura nilgherriensis^ var. picta. 



Silybura nilgherriensis, var. picta, Beddome, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 (5) xvii. p. 16. 



This variety is founded on a single specimen collected at 

 Peermaad, North Travancore, between 3000 and 4000 feet 

 elevation. In collections I have recently received from the 

 same locality this form is represented by numerous adult and 

 young examples which tend to show that the coloration is 

 very variable, many of the specimens differing greatly in this 



