KEPTILES OE BEITISH BIEMA. 43 



A. SAGITTARIUS, Cautor**. 



This species I have not seen ; but Giiuther records it from 

 Piuang and India. 



PsAMMOPHis, Boie. 

 P. CONDANARUS, Morr. 



Phayrea Isabellina, Theobald, MSS.* 



Scales smooth, subequal, hexagonal. Nasal oblong, reaching to 

 the top of the head, pierced somewhat superiorly by a moderate 

 nostril, with au oblique slit to the first labial. Eye full ; pupil 

 round. 



Head elongate, not very distinct from from the neck. Scales 

 in seventeen rows, the abdominal row larger than the rest. 

 Loreal one, moderate ; anteocular one ; postoculars two. Upper 

 labials eight, 'fourth and fifth entering the orbit, sixth largest. 

 Pupil black ; iris brown. Above yellowish. 



a. Adult male. Body . . . 2750 



Tail . . . 8-75=3G25. 



Colour bufi" or yellowish Isabelline brown, with a dark stripe, 

 two scales broad, down either side of tho back from head to tail, 

 and a broader dark stripe on either side of the belly. Belly yel- 

 lowish, colour strongly contrasted, the lower edge of the dark side- 

 stripe passing through the middle of the abdominal row of scales. 

 This specimen was taken alive at Maubee, above Eangoon. Tliis 

 species is nowhere plentiful. It inhabits grass-land and paddy- 

 fields, and is very active in its movements. 



* Sinco tho present paper was read, the arrival of my specimens in England 

 has enabled Dr. Giinther to point out the identity of Fhayrea with Psammophis 

 condanarus. My description does not, however, require modification, and will 

 stand as authentic for tho Pegu race. In Dr. Giinther's description of this 

 species, ho says "Nostril in the middle between two shields ; " and this caused 

 mo to overlook the identity of the Pegu Snake with P. co7idanarus, as I must 

 still maintain that fresh Pegu specimens examined by me have had the nostril 

 centrally situated in a single oblong shield, divided only below, but undivided 

 above, and with its wppcr margin continuous. Doubtless some specimens may 

 either naturally or accidentally possess divided nasals ; but in the best and freshest 

 specimens examined by me in Pegu such has not been the case. The coloration 

 of specimens from Continental India, as described by Giinther, varies too from 

 that observable in Pegu, where I have never remarked any black markings 

 whatever. 



