672 MB. STANLEY 8. FLOWER ON THE [May 16, 



This variety had no lougitudinal lines or ventral spots, but about 

 17 dark transverse marks on the body and tail. 



Hah. Bengal, Assam, Burma, South China, Cochinchina, Siam, 

 Malay Peninsula, and Sumatra. 



N.B. — SiMOTEs vioLACEus (Cantor). 

 Simotes violaceus, Blgr. Oat. Snakes, ii. p. 222. 

 This species was obtained in Cambodia by M. Mouhot, so will 

 probably be eventually found in Siam. 



Hab. Bengal, Assam, Burma, Cambodia, South China. 



144. Simotes ootolineatus (Schneid.) 



Simotes octolineatiis, -Blgi"- Cat. Snakes, ii. p. 224 ; S. Flower, 

 P. Z. S. 1896, p. 884. 



Eecorded from Perak and Siugapoi-e. 



Hah. Southern India, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, 

 Sulu Islands. 



145. Simotes signatus Giinther. 



Simotes signatus, Blgr. Cat. Snakes, ii. p. 226. 

 Hah. Malay Peninsula (Singapore, Brit. Mus. Cat.), Sumatra, 

 Java. 



146. Simotes t^niatijs Giinther. 



Simotes tcnniatus, Giinth. Eept. Brit. Ind. p. 216, pi. xx. fig. A ; 

 Blgr. Cat. Snakes, ii. p. 227. 



Siamese. " Ngu kow-pe-kow." 



Localities. This species was discovered by M. Mouhot in Cam- 

 bodia, and specimens from Siam have also reached the British 

 Museum through Sir H. Schomburgk and Mr. Newman. 



I obtained three individuals in Bangkok, and one near Bortong 

 Kabin, up the Bangpakoug river. 



Habits. It feeds sometimes on the small frog MicrohyJa ornata. 



Popular belief. The Siamese greatly dread this snake, considering 

 it poisonous ; and they say, though it cannot kill a man, its bite 

 will render him dumb and speechless for the rest of his life. 



Descnption. Two of these Siamese specimens had 17 rows of 

 scales and two 19. 



Colour (in hfe). Above olive-brown ; a very narrow pale yellow 

 vertebral line ; on each side of this two very dark brown longitu- 

 dinal lines, more or less broken up into a series of spots. Below 

 bright coral-red, with, on either side, a row of triangular (apex 

 pointing forward), semicircular, or squarish black, spots ; the under 

 surface of the tail is immaculate bright coral-red. Between the 

 brown of the upper parts and the red belly there is on either side 

 a pale yellowish-white line. Head ornamented with characteristic 

 Simotes marks, black with narrow pale yellow margins ; under 

 surface of head pale yellow. 



