SERPENTES. 101 



new species (Typhlops limbrickii and T. psammophilus) , pallid forms also, from 

 this region; and also remarks on the pale color of various desert species in 

 comparison with their relatives. We can conceive that, were this area as isolated 

 as is the island of Socotra, the local race of T. braminus would be differentiated, 

 as is T. socotranus. In this area of Ramanad we must allow for a more or less 

 constant influx of typical individuals from outside the desert, and this of course 

 reduces the rate of change. Dr. Annandale adds some interesting notes on the 

 habits of T. braminus. A living specimen which he kept in an insect cage ate 

 the excerta of caterpillars, and he adds that this very individual was taken from 

 a stick of sugarcane at a considerable height from the ground, where it was 

 living in the tunnel made by some boring caterpillar. 



Typhlops polygrammicus Schlegel. 



ScKLEGEL, Abbild. Amphib., 1839, dec. 2, p. 40, pi. 32, fig. 35-38. Boulenger, Cat. snakes Brit, 

 mus., 1893, 1, p. 34-35. 



Type locality: — Timor. 



This species, which has the interesting distribution of Australia and Timor, 

 is represented here by a single example taken in Portuguese Timor, and obtained 

 in exchange from the American museum of natural history. 



Typhlops flaviventer Peters. 

 Peters, Men. Berl. akad., 1864, p. 271. BotrLENGER, Cat. snakes Brit, mus., 1893, 1, p. 25. 



Type locality: — Ternate Island, Moluccas. 



This species was taken but once during about a week of collecting in Ternate, 

 March, 1907. It is very similar in habits to T. braminus, but appears more 

 active when disturbed. In life the upper surface is blue-black with iridescence, 

 and the lower surface is chrome-yellow. The edge of the darker color appears 

 sharply serrate, due to the corners of the first row of yellow scales being visible 

 between the corners of the scales of the lowest dark row. The lighter color 

 becomes somewhat diffuse over the upper surface of the head and the tip of the 

 tail. In life the body is strongly depressed, and the creature usually rests 

 rather tightly coiled. 



This species is known only from this group of islands : — 



Ternate, where von Martens took the type, and where Bruijn took the series 

 reported on by Peters and Doria. 



Batjan, one specimen taken by Beccari, the famous companion of d'Albertis 

 in exploration of the Dutch East Indies. 



