212 



Maxilla of Hav 

 lonodon pMUp 

 sinensis. X 6. 



Haplonodon philippinensis sp. nov. [Plate I.] 



The anterior end of the maxillary is curved inward but slightly. The 

 maxillary teeth are arranged in three series; the eight or nine anterior 

 increase in size from the first to the last; after a short 

 intersi^ace come three small teeth, followed by three 

 which are much larger, laterally compressed, and almost 

 fang-like. There is no interspace between the last tooth 

 of the middle series and the first one of the posterior series. 

 The four anterior mandibular teeth increase in- size to 

 the fourth and are considerably larger than the remaining 

 ones, which are all of about equal size. 



Eye moderate, pupil vertically elliptic. Body slender, 

 slightly compressed; tail long; a well-defined keel along 

 each side of the belly and tail; subcaudals in two rows. 

 Scales smooth, arranged in longitudinal rows, without 

 apical pits; the vertebral and lateral rows are not notice- 

 ably larger than the others; scales in 17 rows; ventrals 

 203; anal entire; subcaudals 95-|- (the tip of the tail is 

 broken off). Eostral considerably broader than deep, 

 its upper point entering deeply between the internasals, 

 the portion visible from above being equal to one-third 

 of its distance from the frontal; nostril quite large, in 

 a single concave nasal; internasals nmch shorter and narrower than 

 prefrontals; frontal almost as broad as long, twice as wide as the 

 supraoculars, measuring each on the line joining the middle of the eyes; 

 much shorter than the parietals, a little longer than its distance from 

 the point of the rostral; loreal about three times as long as broad, 

 entering the eye; one small jDrseocular above the loreal, nearly reaching 

 the frontal; two postoculars; temporals 3+2; nine upper labials, fourth 

 and fifth entering the eye, seventh and eighth largest and of equal size; 

 five lower labials in contact with the ajiterior chin-shields, which are 

 longer and broader than the piosterior. 



The dorsal surface of the body and tail are crossed by 79 dark brown 

 bands, separated by narrow bands of white finely dotted with brown. The 

 edges of the latter bands are pure white, which outlines the darker and 

 broader bands very distinctly and prettily. In the dorsal portions of the 

 lighter bands the brown dots are often confluent, producing a gi-ayish 

 brown color. The dots are finer and more separated toward the ventral 

 surface. The ventral portions of most of the brown bands are narrowly 

 separated from the dorsal parts by fine wliite lines. A large brown spot 

 lies upon each lateral end of most of the ventral scales; the ventral sur- 

 face of the head and body is white. Brown dots become increasingly 

 numerous on the lower surface as the anus is approached ; the lower sur- 

 face of the tail is closely covered with brown dots. Tlie upper surface 



