182 



MESSRS. GODMAN AND DISTANT ON 



[Mar. 2, 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XVIH. 



Fig. 1. Stilodes stcinheili, p. 170. 



2. Ausfralica violacea, p. 171. 



3. Homopkce^a hifaniatus, p. 173. 



4. (Edionychis crucigera, p. 175. 



5. — — variegata, p. 175. 



6. obscuripennis, p. 176. 



7. qi'.inquemamlata, p. 177. 



Fig. 8. QSdionycMs hinotata, p. 177. 

 9. steinheili, p. 179. 



10. mini-ipnllis r. 1 78 



11. 



12. 



- nigricollis, p. 178. 

 ■ marginicollis, p. 180. 

 sexplagiata, p. 180. 



7. Description of a new Snake of the Genus Plectrurus from 

 Malabar. By Col. R. A. Beddome, C.M.Z.S. 



[Eeceived February 21, 1880.] 



Plectrurus aureus, n. sp. 



Snout obtusely conical ; head-shield as in the genus, the supra- 

 orbital about half as large as the postoculars; no temporals. Scales 

 in 15 rows ; ventrals 165, twice as broad as the adjoining scales; 

 subcaudals twelve pairs ; scales of the tail keeled ; the horny terminal 

 scale with two double points one above the other. Length 14 

 inches, of which the tail is about 1 inch. Of a brilliant yellow colour, 

 brighter beneath, the scales edged with violet; with or without a 

 few irregular narrow violet-black cross bars along the back; the belly 

 much ornamented with broad violet-black cross bars, sometimes 

 somewhat confluent; tail beneath with a long triangular violet-black 

 blotch. The brilliant golden colour fades rapidly in spirit, as the 

 yellow colour in these Uropelts always does, often turning the spirit 

 quite yellow. 



Two examples of this snake were captured on the Chambra 

 mountain in Wynad, near Kalpatty — one under an old rotten log 

 at 6000 feet elevation, the other under a large stone at 4500 feet, 

 both in heavy evergreen forest. The species is one of the most 

 beautiful of the tribe. 



8. Descriptions of five new Species of Bhopalocera from 

 East Africa. By F. D. Godman and W. L. Distant. 



[Received March 1, 1880.] 



(Plate XIX.) 



A short time ago Mr. Bates kindly gave Mr. Salvin and myself a 

 small collection of Butterflies to select from, made by Mr. J. T. Last 

 in the Gnuru Hills, opposite Zanzibar. It contained principally the 

 common species which are widely distributed throughout the east 

 coast; but amongst them were several specimens of a fine new Danais, 

 and a single example of a Physcccneura, which I think ought to 

 be described. To these descriptions I have added that of an 

 AcrcBa procured by Mr. Jesse in Abyssinia in 1868, which has 



