OPHIDIA. 829 



Trimeresurus elegans, Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. xii, 1853, p. 39L 



Botkrops viridis , Dum. & Bibr., Erpet. G^nl., vol. vii, 1854, p. 1513. 



Trimeresnrus gramineus, Gunth., Kept. Brit. Ind., 1864, p. 385; Theobald, Journ. As. Soc, 



Bengal, vol. xxxvii, ex No., p. 75; id., Journ. Linn, Soc, Lond., vol. xi, 1868, p. 64(; 



id., Descr. Cat. Rept. B. Ind., 1876, p. 219 ; Stoliezka, Journ. As. Soe., Bengal, vol. xxxix, 



1870, pp. 141, 216; Anderson, op. cit, vol. xl, 1871, p. 37; id., Proc. Zool. Soc, 1871, 



p. 194. 



A specimen from Ponsee measures 14 inclies, of which the tail forms 1-92 inches^ 

 The ventrals are 174, and the sub-caudals 68. The only particular in which 

 this snake differs from the hitherto known examples of this species is in the 

 presence of 23 instead of 21 rows of scales. The supranasals are separated from 

 each other and from the rostral by an azygos plate nearly equalling a supra- 

 nasal in sizco The scales of the upper surface of the head are imbricate and 

 smooth. The superciliary is long and undivided. General colour grass-greeUj 

 lighter on the sides and pale yellowish-green on the under surface. The upper lips 

 pale-green„ 



I have compared this specimen with the snakes referred by Giinther to this 

 species, and with Cantor's T. gramineus and with the types of T. tiridis and 

 T. eleganSy Gray, from which it is in no way specifically separable^ 



In the snake from the Himalaya, collected by Dr. Hooker and referred by 

 Br. Gray to T. viridiSj two shields intervene between the supranasals ; the first 

 labial is distinct from the nasal, but two shields exist between the supranasals and 

 the loreal, one of these on the right side being confluent with the supranasaL It 

 is interesting to observe that this latter asymmetrical detail is exactly reproduced 

 in another snake, also obtained by Hooker in the Himalaya, and regarded by Gray 

 as the type of a new species, T. elegans. The latter differs from the former, among 

 other subordinate details, in having only one shield between the supranasals* In 

 one of Cantor's specimens from Bintal, referred to this specieSj 1 observe that the 

 first labial and nasal are united except behind the nostril, and that a similar arrange* 

 ment exists in a Rangoon specimen, but in other Penang snakes of this species 

 these two plates are distinct. It is extremely difficult, however, in many 

 instances to distinguish between examples of T. Ucolor^ Gray, and T, gramineus, but 

 the former would appear to be recognizable from the latter by its smaller head 

 scales, the stronger carination of its supraorbitals and temporals, and in the more 

 elongated character of its body scales, in all of which respects it differs also from 

 T. albolabrisj which is in no way separable from jT. erythrurus. Cantor* I make 

 these remarks because it does seem that T. carinatus, Gray, to which T> bicolOTi Gray^ 

 has been relegated as a synonym, is specifically distinct, whereas some doubt 

 does exist as to the specific distinctness of T, carinatus, Gray, and T. purpureus^ 

 Gray. The type of T. carinatus^ is a dark brownish-purple snake, but with a 

 greenish tinge on the side, and with a pale lateral streak, and with dusky under- 

 parts, and with narrower ventrals than the green snakes {T> bicolor) which have 



* The locality from whence it was obtained is unknown. 



