DESCniPTIONS OF NEW BEPTILES FROM SI AM. GO 



by Mr. Boulenger. Mr. Barren who saw botli specimens wlien 

 f'resli iiifoinis me, however, that the fir.^t one never shf)\ve(l any red 

 coloration. The drawiiip; of tlie head, bj' Mr. C. L. Groundwater, 

 is from the second specimen, which will be also presented to the British 

 jMusenm. — M. S. J 



IIypsirhina smithii. 



Ilostral twice as broad as deep; internasal single, a little more 

 than twice as broad as long ; frontal scarcelj' broader than the supia- 

 ocular, twice as long as broad, as long as its distance from the end ot 

 the snout, a little shorter than the parietals ; loi-eal as long as deep, in 

 contact with the internasal ; one praeocular, the lower part, on one side, 

 separated off as a subocular, two postoculars ; temporals i + 2 — 3; 

 eight upper labials, fourth entering the e3'e ; five lower labials in 

 contact with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields hardlv^ 

 distinguishable from the surrounding scales. Scales in 21 rows 

 Ventrals 121 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 56. Head and anterior part 

 of the body grey above, with a zigzag vertebral band formed of 

 confluent large black spots, and black on the sides and beneath, 

 the black being interrupted b}' light pinkish bars which are continued 

 as irregular series of yellow spots across the belly ; posterior jjart of 

 bod}^ irridescent black, with incomplete narrow annuli, wdiich are 

 pinkish above and yellow beneath ; upper surface of head spotted 

 with black, with a black U-shaped mark from the angle of the mouth 

 to the parietal. Tongue whitish (in life). 



Total length 400 mm. ; tail SO mm. 



A single female specimen from the river Menam at Bangkok. 



This species, named after Dr. Malcolm Smith, is very closely 

 allied to H. jajorii, Peters, from which it differs in the narrower 

 frontal shield and, very strikingh% in the coloration. 



[This snake was caught by a small boy whilst shrimping off 

 Messrs. L. T Leonowens, Ltd., and kindly sent me by Mr. Miller. 

 1 kept it alive for four months. It had the sluggish disposition that 

 is found in so many of the fresh-water snakes, anrl never ma le anv 

 attempt to bite when handled. It was not strictlj' aquatic, and lived 

 quite as much on the land as in the watc. On one occasion it ate 

 a fish, but afterwards refused all food. — M.S.] 



Dr. ]\Ialcolm Smith has pointed out to me that two distinct 

 foi'uis have been confounded by Giinther and by m3'self under the name 

 of Siinotes taciihdus.- One. with 17 rows of scales and a blackish spot 



