670 MR. STAITLET S. PLO-VTEE OlT THE [May 16, 



R. macrodacti/la is a marsh-haunting species. DendropMs pictus is 

 very gentle when handled. 



Colour (in life). Above olive bronze-brown ; a black line on 

 either side of the head from the nostril passing through the eye 

 and continued along the anterior quarter of the body, where it is 

 broken at frequent and regular intervals by diagonal bands of 

 rich blue-greeu. Along each side of the body is a pale whitish 

 bronze line, bordered above and below by rich dark brown. These 

 lateral lines disappear on the tail, which is plain olive-brown above 

 aud on the sides. The upper labials and sides of the neck below 

 the black line are pale lemon-yellow. The ower surfaces of head, 

 body, and tail are immaculate white ; the lateral ventral keels are 

 finely outlined in dark brown ; and the sides of the ventral shields 

 above the keels are white, with very pretty pink and bronze shades. 

 Iris bronze. Tongue red, with black tip. 



Hab. Eastern Himalayas, Bengal, hills of Southern India, 

 Burma, Siam, Cambodia, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Nias, Linga, 

 Java, Lombok, Flores, Ombaai, Great Natuna Island, Borneo, Sulu 

 Islands, Celebes, Ceram, Misol, Ternate, Philippines. 



140. Dendbophis eobmosus Boie. 



Dendropliis formosus, Blgr. Cat. Snakes, ii. p. 84. 



Localities. This handsome snake is found on Penang Hill (one 

 specimen in Mr. van Sommeren's collection, and one obtained by, 

 myself at 2200 feet), at Kuala Lumpor, Selangor (E. Hanitsch 

 Eep. Eaffles Libr. & Mus. 1897, p. 10), in Malacca (Brit; Mus. Cat.), 

 and in Singapore (R. Hanitsch, op, cit. p. 10, and S. Plower, 

 P. Z. S. 1896, p. 883). 



Colour (in life). A specimen 1422 mm. (4 feet 8 inches) long, 

 caught on Penang Hill, 2nd April 1898, differed somewhat from 

 the Singapore specimen described in P. Z. S. 1896, p. 883. Its 

 colours were as follows : — 



Top of head and enlarged row of vertebral shields rich red-brown ; 

 posterior border of each of these shields black. Upper parts of 

 sides of body yellowish brown with red and green shades, each 

 scale edged posteriorly with black ; the skin between the scales is 

 bright ultramarine-blue and shows distinctly on the sides of the 

 neck. The back becomes less brown posteriorly and more yellow, 

 finally turning to green on the tail. A broad black line from the 

 muzzle passing through the eye to the nape, where it converges 

 with but does not meet its fellow ; the two run back parallel 

 along the neck and soon disappear. Labials and under surface of 

 head and neck bright greenish yellow. The lowest row of scales 

 on each side of the body and the ventrals are bright grass-green. 

 The lateral ventral keels and subcaudal shields are not outlined in 

 black. Iris sea-green, with broad, black, horizontal line through it. 

 Tongue red, black tip. 



Hah. Malay Peninsula, Sumatra (" Sungei Mandan, Sumatra," 

 E. Hanitsch, Eep. Eaffles Libr. & Mus. 1897, p. 10), Java, 

 Borneo. 



