1871.] DR. J. ANDERSON ON INDIAN REPTILES. 183 



region, to the eye and above the angle of the mouth, and is prolonged 

 along the side to the end of the tail, covering the angle of the ventral 

 and one half of the first row of scales ; the black line defining it 

 below can be indistinctly traced even as far forwards as the lower 

 labials. All these longitudinal yellow lines are strongly margined 

 with black on each of the sides, and they are equally prominent with 

 the brown bands of the ground-colour. 



I have received three specimens from Simla on the Himalaya ; and 

 a specimen in this museum is from Lower Bengal. 



Dendrophis picta, Gmelin; Gthr. I.e. p. 297. 

 Darjeeling and Garo Hills. 



Psammodynastes puLVERULENTUS, Boie ; Gthr. I. c. p. 292. 



The general appearance of this Snake is strongly viperine, so 

 much so that, in roughly separating a large collection of Snakes from 

 Darjeeling, I found when I came to examine the species critically 

 that I had unwittingly placed the largest specimen of seven along 

 with a fine series of T. monticola. 



It is the subject of considerable variation in the head-plates, as is 

 evinced by the following table : — 



Dark $. 



The posterior frontals are bent down on the side of the head ; and 

 when a second loreal exists it is due to the separation as a distinct 

 shield of that portion of the posterior frontal. The three postoculars 

 result from a portion of the fifth labial being separated as such. 

 There are sometimes only seven upper labials, due to union of the 

 third and fourth, the true character of the compound shield being 

 sometimes shown by a trace of an imperfect suture*. 



There are two well-marked types of coloration, one being almost 

 wholly black and the other light reddish brown. All the black spe- 

 cimens I have examined are females, and the light-coloured ones 



* I have a specimen of this Snake from the Khasi Hills with the anterior and 

 posterior frontals confluent, but in every other respect normal. It is a palc- 

 coloured specimen (male ?). 



