46 REPTILIA. 



Gen. Dendrophis, 

 Dendropbis paradisei (?). 



Colour — above ; tlie plates of the head are banded with trans- 

 verse irregular black markings, the ground colour being yellowish 

 brown, darker towards the muzzle than at the occiput. From the 

 head a line extends down the centre of the back, the scales of which 

 are greenish yellow margined by black ; on each side of this line 

 the scales are of a deep olivaceous colour, similarly margined with 

 black ; at some distance from the head the dark sidal colour becomes 

 less distinct, and towards the centre of the body assimilating with 

 the lighter colour of the vertebral stripe : at this part, and on, nearly 

 to the tail, the scales, in addition to the black margin, have a central 

 black spot ; the lower parts are light greenish yellow, with pale 

 brownish black transverse lines across the hinder edges of the 

 scuta. Muzzle blunt and rounded ; head shielded ; upper jaw 

 toothed ; fangs none ; body and tail very angular, and the lower 

 surface quite flat ; the angle on each side forming a prominent 

 ridge. 



Abdominal scuta, 2291 opo 

 Subcaudal scuta, 134 J 



Length from muzzle to vent, 3 feet 1 inch 1 ^ r i. o • i, 



/..•Ti 1 t J* L a ' ^ r* leet o inciies. 



„ or tail beyond, 1 toot 2 inches j 



The only specimen we have obtained of this species was 

 killed ill Labuan by Mr. Motley, and when first seen by him 

 was clinging in a most extraordinary manner upon the trunk 

 of a large tree, head downwards, and without any visible 

 means of supporting itself. He took up a stick and attempted 

 to kill it, but failed : it then came down and climbed up 

 another small tree with wonderful speed. He afterwards got 

 a gun and shot it. 



Dendrophis picta (?). 



Colour — above, light ochreous brown, below, yellowish white ; on 

 each side a broad black stripe runs along the whole length of the 

 body, covering the upper angles of the abdominal scuta, and the lower 

 part of the adjoining scale; another narrower line runs parallel to, 

 and at the distance of a scale's breadth above, this. Between these 

 two lines the colour is that of the abdomen, and above the upper one 

 the light brown of the back commences ; two more pair of similar 

 parallel black lines, but much narrower, extend along the back; 

 these black stripes are the most distinctly marked towards the poste- 

 rior part of the body. On the tail they are very distinct, but dimi- 

 nish in number, and towards the tip only the two largest lateral and 



