1871.] DR. J. ANDERSON ON INDIAN REPTILES. 195 



twenty-three rows. Two specimens before me have twenty-four rows 



of keeled scales, t wo others have t.went.v-fi ve. and three others have &X<Ws^l/V<^ 



twenty-three. One of the specimens with twenty-three is from Dar- 



jeeling ; and the two others are from Cheera Punji, Khasi Hills. 



In the specimens from the latter locality one has a pair of small 

 shields between the supranasals, and another has three small shields 

 intervening between them. Another specimen from Darjeeling, with 

 twenty-five rows of scales, and measuring 28 inches 6* lines, tail 

 3 inches 2 lines, has a pair of shields between the supranasals, and 

 three small shields in front of the former, evidently resulting from 

 division of the supranasals themselves, and of the azygos also. It is 

 a female, with ventrals 146, caudals 35. The coloration is in every 

 way the same as described by Gunther. I observe in Gunther' s 

 figure of this Snake that a small azygos shield is impacted between 

 the supranasals and rostral ; and if this shield were a little enlarged, 

 and were completely to separate the supranasals, his figure would 

 agree in every respect with my seven specimens from Darjeeling, all 

 of which have an azygos shield between the supranasals, and from 

 twenty-three to twenty-five rows of keeled scales. The occurrence of 

 twenty-four rows in two of the specimens leads to the apparent limit 

 of variation, twenty-five. It is easy to understand how the azygos 

 may become broken up. The coloration of all these specimens 

 (twelve), including T. andersoni, is identical in every respect ; and, 

 as Gunther observes, the males are blackish ash, and the females 

 and young pale brown. The aged females, however, become dark 

 brown. The Y-marking on the neck is present in all. The adults 

 measure 4" 9"' in circumference. The smallest specimen measures 

 6" 9'", of which the tail is 1"; and the largest 32" 3"', tail 4" 10'". 

 The ventrals vary from 140 to 148, caudals from 36 to 48. 



Hab. Darjeeling ; Cheera Punji, Khasi Hills ; Hotha, Yunan, N. 

 China, 3520 to 5000 feet. 



With these facts before us, the scales may be said to vary from 

 twenty-three to twenty-five rows ; and the supranasals may be re- 

 garded as varying from a minute shield impacted in front of them, 

 to a perfect shield, wholly separating them, or breaking up in some 

 cases into two or five supranasal shields. These differences may 

 be regarded as indicating special varieties ; but it is very questionable 

 whether they are invariably communicated from the parent to its 

 offspring. I am inclined to think they are not, for I have on more 

 than one occasion, when examining young Snakes that I have re- 

 moved with my own hands from the mother, found them exhibiting 

 variatious in their head-shields ; and the occurrence at Darjeeling 

 of specimens of this Snake with twenty-three rows of scales, while 

 the majority have twenty-five rows, is conclusive proof that this 

 character is not one characteristic of a local form. It is curious to 

 remark that all the specimens that have hitherto yielded twenty- 

 three rows of scales have not been adults, and that all my largest 

 specimens yield the greatest number of scales round the neck ; and in 

 the light of such a consideration it seems possible that mature forms 

 from Cheera Punji will yield twenty-five rows of scales. 



