124 y. Stoliczka — Malayan JReptilia and Amphibia. [No. 1, 



ter he seems to have sacrified everything else. Now the Penang species, of 

 which I lately also received four beautifully preserved specimens from Suma- 

 tra, has only ^^^V^e^^ roi<?5 q/'5<?«Ze5. Cantor's description of the snake is 

 admirable, and he gives also tliirteen rows of scales. Dumeril and Bibron, 

 when describing their D. octolineatus, also speak of only thirteen rows, and 

 Jan (Ophid. Livr. 81, pi. II,) gives the same number of scales when figuring 

 the species under Dum. and Bibron's name. 



Thus the question to be determined is, whether Gray's type has thirteen 

 or fifteen rows of scales round the body ? If fifteen rows are present, we 

 have to see whether we are entitled to regard this number as a normal or 

 abnormal one in that particular specimen, that is, whether other speci- 

 mens from the same locality have 13 or 15 rows of scales ; for as far as other 

 points of structure and coloration go, the Penang and Sumatra species is 

 absolutely identical with Gray's caudolineatus. I have no Bornean specimens 

 for comparison, so I can add nothing more towards the solution of the 

 question. 



The Ceylonese D. caudoUneolatus, as far I can judge from the descnp- 

 tion and figure of it, differs in the structure of the prse-ocular, in the upper 

 labials, and so very essentially in coloration, that I could not have thought 

 of identifying the Penang caudolineatus with it. 



Ophites subcinctus. 

 One specimen measures eighteen inches, of which the tail is 3 "25 inch. 

 The general colour of the upper surface is black, slightly duller at the sides, 

 dull olivaceous blackish below ; front head above blackish brown ; severxteen 

 broad white rings round the body, the first on the neck, and four on the 

 tail ; the white of the rings is considerably more distinct on the anterior 

 than on the posterior part of the body. The eight median rows of scales on 

 the back are keeled ; eight upper labials, regular on both sides. 



Ophites ALBOPiiscrs. 



A remarkably slender snake, measuring 18*75 inches, of which the tail 

 is 5*75 inch. It has seventeen rows of scales, all strongly keeled, the keels 

 on the back being finely crenulated. The general structure exactly agrees 

 with Giinther's account of the species. The specimen has 241 ventrals, anal 

 bifid, and 178 subcaudals, the last shield is single, very long and cylindrical. 



The general colour is dark brown above, olivaceous white below ; hind 

 head and collar on neck very slightly olivaceous white tinged with yellow ; 

 body with twenty-six transverse white cross bands, some are imperfect, the 

 intermediate brown bands of ground colour being first thrice, afterwards 

 only twice as broad as the white ones. Tail with about twenty- six 

 transverse white bands, several of them succeeding each other being often 



