184 MH. (i. A. ISOlTLENGER ON NEW REPTILES [Mar. 6, 



Xenelaphis ellipsifek. (Plate XVI.) 



29 teeth in the upper jaw. Eye large, twice as long as its 

 distance from the edge of the mouth. Rostral once and a half as 

 broad as deep, visible from above ; intemasals nearly as long as 

 the prefrontals ; frontal once and two-fifths as long as broad, as 

 long as its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the 

 parietals ; loreal a little longer than deep ; one praeocular, with a 

 rather large subocular below it, wedged in between the third and 

 fourth upper labials ; two postoculars and an elongate subocular 

 separating the eye from the fifth and sixth upper labials ; temporals 

 2 -f 2; eight upper labials, separated from the eye by the sub- 

 oculars, or fourth entering the eye 1 ; five lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields, which are slightly shorter than the 

 posterior. Scales smooth, in 17 rows, vertebrals not distinctly 

 enlarged. Yentrals 186; anal divided: subcaudals 134 ( 6 ). 

 Head aud neck pale brown, sides of neck with interrupted black 

 longitudinal markings ; body with 18 large, elliptic, black-edged 

 brown areas separated by cream-coloured narrow interspaces ; sides, 

 between and below the brown areas, cream-coloured, spotted or 

 marbled with black ; tail, at the base marked like the body, in 

 the second half uniform brown above with a black lateral streak ; 

 upper lip and lower parts uniform yellow. 



Total length 2 metres ; tail 60 centimetres. 



Head-waters of Sarawak River. The type, preserved iu the 

 Sarawak Museum, was caught in a fish-trap. 



This beautiful new Snake connects Zdmenis with Xenelaphis. 

 It agrees with the latter in the number of teeth and strikiugly in 

 the number and arrangement of the head-shields, but differs in the 

 vertebral scales not being larger than the rest, a character which 

 cannot be regarded as very important in view of its slight 

 development in Xenelaphis hexagonotvs. 



Distiea saravacensis. (Plate XIV. fig. 2.) 



Head moderate ; body moderately elongate. Rostral broader 

 than deep ; nasals shorter than the frontal, twice and a half as 

 long as the suture between the prsefrontals ; frontal nearly twice 

 as long as broad, as long as its distance from the rostral, shorter 

 than the parietals ; one or two pre- and one postocular; seven 

 upper labials, second largest, fourth or third aud fourth entering 

 the eye ; two superposed anterior temporals ; two pairs of chin- 

 shields, iu contact on the median line. 27 scales round the neck, 

 43 round the body ; scales imbricate, keeled. Ventrals distinct 

 throughout, bicarinate, 306. Blackish, with 85 yellowish riugs 

 interrupted by the series of ventral scales ; a chevron-shaped 

 marking on the upper surface of the head, the apex on the nasals, 

 the branches on the prefrontal, supra- and postocular shields, and 

 on the temple. 



Total length 710 millira. ; tail 80. 



Sarawak coast. Type in the Sarawak Museum. 



1 The former arrangement, is shown on the right side of the unique speci- 

 men, the latter on the left, 



