474 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXI. 



sula and Java further evidence of a confirmatory nature seems 

 desirable, since Flower (Jourl. As. Soc. Bengal 1899, p. 655) 

 reminds us of what is very true, viz., that molurus is found in local- 

 ities outside its natural range, often being carried thence by 

 itinerant Indian jugglers. He records seeing one in Bankok which 

 enquiry elicited had come with a conjurer from India. Pythons too 

 are accidentally transported in ships occasionally to regions far 

 removed from their natural haunts. It is far commoner I think 

 in the plains than in the hills, but ascends to altitudes up to 

 about 6,000 feet in the Himalayas, and other Indian ranges. 



Lepidosis. — Rostral much bioader than high ; in contact with 6 

 shields, the sutures made with the internasal decidedly shortest ; 

 impressed with two elongate furrows or pits parallel to and just 

 below the superior borders. 



Internasals. — A pair, the suture between them two-thirds to 

 three-fourths that between the prsefrontal fellows. Prcefrontals a 

 pair, separated from the frontal by a transverse series of small 

 scales.* Frontal — Divided longitudinally, as large or rather 

 smaller than the preefrontals. 8ii]yraoculars. — Rather shorter than 

 the frontal, rather broader than each frontal half. Parietals. — 

 None, the frontal being succeeded by small scales. Nasals. — In 

 contact with 1st and 2nd labials. Loreal region occupied by many 

 scales. Eye surrounded by many scales hardly deserving the name 

 of preeoculars, postoculars, etc. 



Supralahials 10 to 13, the anterior 2 deeply pitted as shown in 

 our Plate. Sometimes one (usually the 6th) touches the eye. 

 Infrcdabials 18 to 22. Usually some of the anterior and posterior 

 are indented with small roundish depressions, but those may be 

 entirely absent. Sublinguals absent, the mental groove being 

 bordered by 5 or 6 small scales. Gostals two heads-lengths behind 

 heads 54 to 56 ; in midbody 61 'to 75 ; two heads-lengths before 

 vent 4<3 to 45. On the back the scales are longer than broad, but 

 in the flanks they enlarge till in the last 2 rows the breadth 

 exceeds the length. The last row is just one-half the breadth of 



* This is a curious departure from the usual cokibrine arrangement of head 

 shielding- but is also seen in the snake Zamtnis diaclema. 



