98 CAPT. F, WALL ON THE . [ Feb. 3, 
postocular above this shield. Temporals: the antero-superior - 
extends back as far as the extreme border of the parietals or 
further. Labials: six in two specimens on both sides. Sub- 
caudals 36-50. First infralabials meet in four, fail to meet in 
one, not recorded in eight. 
91, Pseuporarzas yacus. Hongkong (Jan). 
VIPERIDG. 
92, ANCISTRODON acuTUS. China.—Called by the Chinese 
** Qo-woo-shay,” or five-pace snake, owing to the reputed rapidly 
fatal effects of its bite. I saw one specimen in the City Hall 
Museum labelled A. blomhoffii, habitat Szechuen. There are also 
five specimens in the Siccawei Collection. Two are labelled Ou- 
Yuen’, and one of these dated 1882 (7. e. six years before Giinther 
first described it). One is labelled Chowtong* 1883, and another 
Kien-té® 1882. The fifth consists of a dried skin. In talking 
to the late Pére Heude about this creature, he told me it is not 
uncommon in hilly parts of the Yangtse Valley, and is feared by 
the natives more than a leopard. He narrated an experience of 
one of the Jesuit Fathers who heard frantic cries for help issuing 
from some dense jungle he was riding through. On dismounting, 
and proceeding to the spot, he found a Chinaman being pursued 
by one of the snakes, which he attacked and killed. Rostral: as 
far as I could ascertain there is only one shield beneath the dermal 
appendage, which, however, is frequently bent over, causing a 
furrow which makes the shield appear divided into two. Labials : 
six in one specimen on both sides, and in another on one side. 
Subcaudals 56 in one specimen, with Ist-llth entire and rest 
divided ; 53 in another, with Ist—9th entire and rest divided; 58 
in another, with Ist—28th entire and rest divided; 57 in another, 
with Ist—12th entire and rest divided. 
93. ANCISTRODON BLOMHOFFII. LE. Siberia, Mongolia, China, 
Hainan, Formosa, Japan, Loo Choos, Siam.—Mollendorff says it 
is called by the Chinese “ Fei-shang-ts’ao,” snake which flits on 
the grass, and ‘ Ch’i-ts’un-tsze,” or seven-inch snake. It is very 
common in the Yangtse Valley. There are at least three specimens 
in the City Hall Museum from Japan. There are five in the 
Shanghai Museum, and a very large number in the Siccawei 
Collection. In Mr. Owston’s collection I saw several obtained 
from Japan and the Loo Choos. I obtained five myself about 
Shanghai in our camp. Two of these, which I found close together 
on October 16th, 1901, appeared to be newly hatched. On the 
Ath October, 1901, my servant informed me that there were several 
snakes lying together dead close to the camp. I investigated the 
matter, and found an adult of this species with the remains of 
1 Perhaps Tao-yuan in Province Hunan ? 
2 Perhaps Chao-tung in North Yunnan ? 
3 In Province An-Hui. 
