1871.] F. Stoliczka — On Indian and Burmese Ophidians. 441 



less enlarged and more elongated. The transverse dark bands in 

 the young are narrow, but distinct and directed forwards on the 

 back ; in the adult the bands are dissolved into spots, more or less 

 distinctly arranged quincuncially ; there is always a dark band 

 present from the eye to the angle of the mouth ; the lower side is 

 checkered and more or less spotted with brown. 



B. hexagonotus, as compared with the above, has the eye much 

 larger, the prse-ocular well developed, the whole head is com- 

 paratively stouter and more bulging, the vertebral series of 

 scales larger and more distinctly hexagonal. The general colour 

 of the body is ferruginous brown, instead of fulvous brown, the 

 dark bands in the young are moderately broad, and cross the 

 back in an almost straight course, and the belly has only occa- 

 sionally slight traces of darkish spots ; but all the spots and bands 

 above and below disappear with age. 



I do not think that the specific distinction of these two forms 

 can be questioned. The former resembles in coloration D. Forstem, 

 and belongs to the fauna of India proper, the latter belongs to the 

 type of B. hubalina, or hoops, and characterises the Malay fauna. 



DlPSAS BUBALINA (I. E., p. 311). 



A specimen measuring 42 inches, obtained in the Eangnu valley 

 below Darjiling, agrees in all essential characters with Giinther's 

 description of the above species ; it has 250 vent., and 124 sub- 

 caudals. The head is not so stout, and the neck decidedly more 

 slender than indicated in Grunther's figure, but this could not be 

 regarded as a specific distinction ; there are 3+3 + pl. temporals on 

 both sides of the head, all three anterior ones being in contact with 

 the two post-oculars. Colour above bluish green, below yellowish 

 white, gradually assuming a greenish tinge posteriorly ; the lower 

 light colour is separated from the upper by a faint whitish line, 

 which runs on each side along the ventral shields, some distance 

 from their terminations ; on the tail the pale line becomes obsolete. 

 Inside mouth, the interstitial skin on the head and neck is black, 

 but very faintly so on the rest of the body. 



Blyth's B. nigromarginata from Assam is clearly identical with 

 hubalina, the apical grooves are so faint, as to be hardly traceable, 



56 



