44 REPTILIA. 



Green above, with a single series of small white spots, rather 

 distant from each other, extending on each side of the vertebraj 

 along their whole length. Abdominal scuta yellowish. Temporal 

 streak double, the upper part being white and the lower part rufous; 

 end of tail light rufous yellow, curled. 



Length of the largest specimen we have obtained : — 



Length from muzzle to vent, 14 inches ) i pi • •l 

 „ of tail beyond, 2| inches J ^ 



"Width at gape, fully 7 lines. 



These snakes are not unfrequent in Labuan, and may some- 

 times be seen basking on roots of trees in the sun, and enjoy- 

 ing the warmth. When struck or wounded they bite most 

 savagely at the stick, or whatever may be used in attacking 

 them. 



Trimesunis subannulatus (Gr.) (var. ?). 



Green above, with thirty-six cross-bands from head to vent, which 

 are continued on the tail, but become indistinct towards the tip ; 

 the anterior part of these bands is white, and the hinder part dark 

 green ; they extend across each side from the vertebra), where they 

 nearly meet, almost to the abdominal plates ; the temporal streak 

 reaches from the nostrils to the hinder angle of the head, and is 

 white above, and dark green below. Colour below — yellowish 

 white, the scuta posteriorly margined with dark green ; most of the 

 scuta are also marked on their hinder edges with irregular spots of 

 dark green, but lighter in the centre than towards the edges. 



Length from muzzle to vent, 1 foot 11 1 inches 1 o f j- 4.1 • y, 

 „ of tail beyond, 5 inches j ^ 



Width of head at gape, 1| inch. 



We have marked this species as a variety of the Trime- 

 surus subannulatus of Mr. Grray, as in our specimens the dark 

 edging of the rings which he describes in that species as being 

 situated in front of the white is behind that colour. These 

 are, however, probably mere varieties in colour, and, indeed, 

 in one specimen which we possess, the relative position to one 

 another of the white and dark colour of the rings is not quite 

 constant. 



It is a common species in Labuan, and the Malays hold 

 them in great dread — so much so, that twenty or thirty of them 

 were completely put to flight by the appearance of the speci- 

 men from which the above description was taken, and which 



