1891.] W. L. Sclater — Notes on the Snakes in tJie Indian Musetim. 235 



Ablabes doriae, (Boul.), Boulenger, p. 306. 



The Indian Museum is indebted to Mr. R. D. Oldham of the Geolo- 

 gical Survey for a specimen of this rather rare snake which he pro- 

 cured in Munipur. 



Ablabes collaris, (Menetries), Blanford, Persia, p. 405. 



Two snakes collected by Dr. Anderson in Palestine near Lake Gali- 

 lee seem referable to this species ; they agree very well with the descrip- 

 tion given by Blanford (I. c.) of a Persian specimen in the Genoa Mu- 

 seum except that in the Palestine specimens, the posterior chin shields 

 are slightly smaller than the anterior ones, whereas in the Persian speci- 

 men the chin shields are said to be equal in size ; the allied species 

 Ablabes niodestus has been recorded from Palestine, but not so far as I am 

 aware the present one. 



SiMOTES CTCLURUS, (Cantor), Boulenger, p. 311. 



The type specimens of Simotes obscurus and Simotes crasstis are 

 undoubtedly both faded specimens of this species, as was surmised by 

 Boulenger (I. c.) ; with regard to some of the specimens in the Museum, it 

 is very difficult to say, whether they should be referred to this species or 

 8. albocinctiis, since the number of anterior temporals and labials enterino* 

 the eye seem to vary somewhat, so that some of the examples are coloured 

 like one species, but scaled like the other, possibly this may be due to 

 hybridism. 



Judging from the specimens of these two snakes in the Indian 

 Museum, it would appear that 8. cyclurus was an inhabitant of higher 

 lands than 8, albocinctus, 



Simotes purpurascbns, (Schleg.), Boulenger, P. Z. S. 1890, p. 34. 



This species with which according to Boulenger (I. c.) Simotes tri- 

 notatus, Dum. et Bibr., 8. lahuanensis, Giinth., 8. cateriifer, Stol. and 

 8. dennysi, Blanf ., are conspecific, may now be included among the snakes 

 of the Indian Empire, since a specimen was procured by Dr. Anderson 

 from Tavoy in Tenasserim and is now in the Museum. 



Simotes wood-masoni, sp. nov. (Plate VI, fig. 2.) 



Nasal divided ; portion of the rostral seen from above a little shorter 

 than its distance from the frontal ; suture between the intei-nasals shorter 

 than that between the prefrontals ; frontal longer than its distance from 

 the end of the snout, as long as the parietals ; loreal small, longer than 

 deep ; one preocular, one subocular separating the thii-d labial from the 

 31 



