1871.] 421 



Notes on some Indian and Burmese Ophidians, — 



ly Dr. F. Stoliczka. 



(With Plates XXV and XXVI). 



[Received 22nd August, read 6th September, 1871.] 



The following notes have for their object the recording of some 

 observations which I lately had the opportunity of making on some 

 Ophidians, partly from India, partly from Burma. These obser- 

 vations refer not only to certain variations in the characters of 

 the species themselves, or to their identification with others, but 

 are also intended to afford some additional information regarding 

 the geographical distribution of the various forms. 



Most of the snakes which I a'm about to notice belong to the Ty- 

 phlopidje, Colubrid^e and Dipsadid^e. Under the first family, I shall 

 note variations of different species of Ti/phJop.?, and shall describe 

 three new ones. In the Colubridje the identification of Blyth's Tro- 

 pidonotus macrops with Giinther's Tropidonotus macrophthalmus is im- 

 portant. From Burma I have to record a new species of Tropidono- 

 tus, apparently distinct from quincunctiatus. A description of Trime- 

 resurus Andersoni is also added, because the distinctness of that 

 species has lately been questioned. 



For the materials, noticed in the present paper, I am greatly 

 indebted to Dr. Day who obtained specimens for me from the North- 

 West Provinces, to Mr. Wood-Mason, Mr. A. Lawder at Almorah, 

 to Mr. Mandeli who kindly collected for me in the Rangnu and 

 Tista valleys in Sikkim, to Mr. M. E. Martin at Pankabaree, and 

 to Mr. Kurz, who brought me some interesting species from 

 Burma. Some species were also collected by myself in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Calcutta, others at the Parisnath hill in W. Bengal, 

 others in the neigbourhood of Darjeeling. 



Trustworthy notices regarding the geographical distribution of 

 Indian and Burmese snakes are very much needed, and this is 

 particularly the case with those species inhabiting the southern 

 slopes of the Himalayas. A number of unreliable data as to the 

 occurrence of certain low-land and tropical forms at elevations of 

 from 9000 to 12000 feet, or even in Tibet and Ladak, have crept into 

 Indian Zoology, chiefly through the occasional vague records of tho 



