18/1.] DR. J. ANDERSON ON INDIAN REPTILES. 187 



is minutely marbled in the same way as in this species ; and there is 

 the black line behind the eye. 



I am strongly inclined to regard this as simply a rare variety of 

 D. hexagonata ; for, as I have already observed, the number of the 

 scales on the body, the character of the head-shields, the number of 

 the ventrals and caudals, correspond with this species. 



In other specimens of this Snake, when the scales are pulled aside, 

 they are found to have the margins slightly edged with black ; and I 

 believe that D. multifasciata is only an intensified variety of this 

 character. 



The coloration of this species removes it from D. bubalina and D. 

 trigonata. 



It appears to be a very common species on the hill-sides about 

 Darjeeling, at elevations of 3500 to 4000 feet. It occurs also in 

 Bengal, whence Blyth obtained his type, and extends also to the 

 Andamans. * 



Dipsas forsteni, D. & B. ; Gthr. I. c. p. 309. 



I have received three specimens of this species from Gwindpur, 

 Maunbhoom, and Doomercoonda, in Bengal ; and a variety of this 

 Snake was procured by me in Ceylon, in a densely wooded part of 

 the island, about twenty miles to the east of Galle. 



The Bengal specimens agree in every particular with Giinther's 

 description, even to the splitting of the third labial. Ventrals 259 ; 

 subcaudals 112. The largest specimen is much decayed in the 

 posterior half of the body, so that I cannot count the ventral or sub- 

 caudal shields. It measures in total length 45 inches G lines. 



The Ceylon specimen, which measures 35 inches in length, of 

 which the tail is 6 inches 6 lines, is distinguished from the continental 

 specimens by the brighter colouring of the head, especially in the 

 greater intensity of the occipital and postocular bands, the former of 

 which has a marked yellow margin, and the latter a line of the same 

 colour from above the eye along its upper edge. All the labials, 

 too, have black margins. The ventrals, besides the lateral spots, 

 have their margins spotted with brown, and are finely punctulated 

 with the same colour on the posterior six-eighths of the trunk. The 

 subcaudals are finely margined with brown. "With the exception 

 of tbese differences, it agrees in every other particular with true I). 

 forsteni. It has 2/0 ventrals and 107 subcaudals. It maybe indi- 

 cated as D. forsteni, D. & B., var. ceylonensis. 



Lycodon striatus, Shaw ; Gthr. /. c. p. 318. 



I have two specimens of this Snake — one from Agra, the other 

 from Lahore. The occipitals in both specimens are the length of 

 the vertical, and one-half that of the postfrontals. With that ex- 

 ception, and that the Lahore specimen has 1 90 ventrals, they pre- 

 sent no other variations in the shields or scales. 



Lahore : — Body 13^, tail 2§ inches ; ventrals 190, caudals 49. 

 Agra : — Body 10^, tail 2| inches ; ventrals 171, caudals 59. 



