A NEW CALAMARINE SNAKE FROM THE PHILIPPINE 



ISLANDS 



By EEONHARD STEJNEGER 



Curator, Division of Reptiles and Batrachians, U. S. National 



Museum 



Dr. E. A. Mearns, U. S. A., has recently forwarded to the Na- 

 tional Museum a single specimen of a Calamaria which appears to 

 be undescribed. It is in very bad condition, but the characters are 

 so well differentiated and so unmistakable that I do not hesitate to 

 describe it. 



CALAMARIA MEARNSI, new species 



Diagnosis. — Ventrals about 250 ; a distinct postocular ; diameter 

 of eye less than half its distance from the mouth ; 5 upper labials; 

 frontal slightly longer than broad, more than twice as wide as 

 supraocular, shorter than parietals ; mental separated from chin- 

 shields by first pair of lower labials. 



Habitat. — Mindanao, Philippine Islands. 



Type.— Cat. No. 36991, U. S. N. M. ; Tangob, N. Mindanao, 

 June 10, 1906; Dr. E. A. Mearns, collector. 



Description of type specimen. — Rostral well visible from above; 

 frontal slightly longer than broad, more than twice as broad as 

 supraoculars, shorter than parietals ; one preocular ; one postocu- 

 lar ; diameter of eye less than half its distance from the labial edge 

 (commissure) ; five supralabials, third and fourth entering eye ; 

 two pairs of chin-shields in contact with each other ; mental sepa- 

 rated from chin-shields by first pair of lower labials ; scales in 13 

 rows ; ventrals, 251 ; anal entire ; subcaudals, 12 pairs ; tip of tail 

 rounded. Color (in alcohol), dark brown above, each of the two 

 outer scale rows broadly tipped with pale yellowish ; parietals and 

 prefrontals with pale yellowish markings ; a pale yellowish collar, 

 about two scales wide, seven scale rows behind the head ; a pair of 

 large pale spots on sides at base of tail ; tip of tail pale except the 

 extreme point, which is dark ; underside uniform pale with ends of 

 ventrals like back ; a dark brown line along middle of underside 

 of tail. 



Dimensions. — Total length, 270 mm. ; tail, 8 mm. 

 30 



