608 



A POPULAR TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN 



SNAKES. 



Illustrated by Coloueed Plates and Diagrams. 



by 

 Major P. Wall, I.M.S., C.M.Z.S. 

 Part XIV with Plate XIV (Diagrams I and II and Map). 



(Continued, from page 79 of this Volume.) 



The genus Tropidonotus is one of 242 into which the family 

 Colubridce is divided, and belongs to that " series " which is 

 characterised by the absence of any grooved, or tubular teeth, viz., 

 Aglypha. 



It is one of the most widely distributed of all the ophidian 

 genera, representatives occurring in all five Continents. 



It is divided into four sub-genera, viz., Tropidonotus, Nerodia, 

 Amphiesma, and Macropophis on differences affecting dentition, but 

 these names are not in common use. As the differences are quite 

 as important as those claimed to differentiate many other closely 

 allied genera, such as Macropisthodon, Helicops, Pseudoxenodon, etc., 

 it is difficult to see why the major rank of genus has not been 

 conceded by Mr. Boulenger who includes them all in a single 

 •cumbersome genus, i.e., Tropidonotus. Of the 80 odd species 

 included under this generic title- no less than 20 inhabit various 

 parts of our Indian Empire. 



TROPIDONOTUS (AMPHIESMA) STOLATUS. 



The buff-striped Jceelbaoh. — The species was referred to first by 

 Carl Linne in 1766 under the name Coluber stolatus. Russell 

 figured it three times in his Volumes on the Indian Snakes 

 published in 1796 (Plate X), and 1801 (Plates XV B and 

 XIX). 



Nomenclature (a) Scientific. — The generic name from the Greek 

 T/307Ti9 a keel, and writhe back was introduced by Kuhl in 1822 

 in reference to the ridges on the scales of a snake whose precise 



