660 MR. STANLET S. FLOWEB ON THE pV^^aj 16, 



Uolour (in life). Above dark olive, with small black spots 

 forming indistinct cross-bands or reticulations ; on the anterior 

 half of the body a lateral series of large triangular black spots, 

 with the points extending down to the ventrals, separated by 

 interspaces of bright coral-red ; belly yellow, some of the ventrals 

 partially edged with black : siibcaiidals yellow, each scale edged 

 with black; upper labials yellow with black sutures. 



Hah. Southern Burma, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, iS'ias, Sipora, 

 (Mentawei Islands), Java, Borneo, Celebes, Ternate. 



110. Teopidonotus piscatoe (Schneid.) 

 TropidonotKS iiiscator, Blgr. Cat. Snakes, i. p. 230. 

 Siamese. " Ngu lai- sau " ; " ]a\" means vanegated. 



Localities. Var. A. The specimen from Singapore mentioned in 

 the Brit. Mus. Cat. is the only instance I know, of this variety, in 

 this region. 



Var. B. To this variety of the Indian Fishing Snake belong 

 Cantor's Penang specimen, and those obtained by Mouhot in 

 Siam and Cambodia ; and I have seen six specimens caught in 

 Penang at various elevations from sea-level to 2200 feet. In 

 May and June 1898, these snakes were very numerous uear Alor 

 Star, Kedah, and it is one of the commonest in Bangkok. 



Habits. The Fishing Snake seems generally to be found in or 

 near fresh water. When newly caught and frightened it is apt to 

 be fierce, but soon becomes tame in captivity. Its food includes 

 frogs ; I haA^e known it to eat Microhyla orvata. 



Colour (in life). — Var. B. Above olive-brown, black-spotted. 

 Below whitish, ventrals and snbcaudals more or Ifss edged with 

 black. A specimen, 360 mm. in length, caught in the M'^ang Na, 

 Bangkok, 21st July 1S98, was unusually coloured: — Above dark 

 olive-brown, indistinctly spotted with black. Along e.'irh side a 

 series of distinct black spots, tli.> interspaces being pale olive-brown, 

 broadlv marked with hri(/Jit scarlet, which gave the snake a strilving 

 appearance. Below pale greenish yellow, each ventral and sub- 

 caudal neatly outlined in black-. Head above olive-brown, with 

 two small well-defined black-edged yellow spots close together on 

 the parietals (these two spots are fre(|uently noticeable in Bangkok 

 specimens) ; sides of head yellowish, two parallel black lines running 

 obliquely backwards and downwards from the eye. Under surface 

 of head dull ^^hitish. Iris yellowish green, with narrow golden 

 ring round pupil. 



Size. A female from Penang Hill was 952 mm. in length. 



Hah. India, Burma, South China, Siam, Cambodia, Malay 

 Peninsula, Java, Borneo. 



111. Teopidokotus TiGEiKtis Boie. 



Hah. Manchuria, China, Japan, Cochinchina, Siam (Blgr. Cat, 

 Snakes, i. p. 249). 



