SERPENTES. 109 



other examples apparently of this species from the Koolloo Valley in the collec- 

 tion of the Museum, while evidently nearly related to Natrix piscator, seems too 

 distinct to be relegated to subspecific rank unless it can be shown to intergrade 

 with this species. The smooth, or nearly smooth, dorsal scales, and the smooth 

 rows near the ventral s seem constant characters. The fourth labial only enters 

 the orbit generally but according to Boulenger it is not always alone in doing so. 



Natrix piscator (Schneider). 



Schneider, Hist. Amphib., 1799, 1, p. 247. Boulenger, Cat. snakes Brit, mus., 1893, 1, p. 230-232. 

 Stejneger, Bull. 58, U. S. nat. mus., 1907, p. 288-291. 



Type locality: — India. 



Six specimens of this species were taken at Buitenzorg, Java, and all belong 

 to var. C of Boulenger; as do also five from Daroe, Bantam, and fifteen from 

 Depok, in the Bryant collection. Two from Java, and one from Borneo, were 

 in the British museum. There were three other specimens (vars. A and B) in 

 the same collection, also said to be from Java. These Javanese specimens were 

 all taken by Horsfeld. Now, excepting this lot, which may be from some other 

 locality, it seems probable that all Indonesian examples belong to this race. 

 All the examples in the Buitenzorg museum did, if I remember correctly, and 

 all that Werner reported from Sumatra (Verh, Zool. bot. ges. Wien, 1896, 46, 

 p. 14) . It is, I think, quite certain that the race is confined to this area. We 

 may then designate it correctly as N. p. melanozosta (Boie). 



In Java it is rare as compared to the Indian form, which seems to occur 

 widely spread (c/. list of localities for British museum examples, Boulenger, 

 loc. cit.). In the M. C. Z. there are many examples from the Koolloo Valley, 

 from Madras, and from Calcutta. Dr. Stejneger writes me that a specimen 

 which I sent for his examination is indistinguishable from a cotype of Hallowell's, 

 N. flavipundata; the example came from Ting-an, Hainan. Boulenger and 

 Stejneger agree that this species from Canton is synonymous with N. piscator. 



The range of this snake extends from India to the Malay Peninsula, Siam, 

 south and Cochin China; also to Java, Sumatra, and Borneo. 



The six Buitenzorg specimens mentioned above have their ventral scalation 

 as follows: — V. 134, C. 80; V. 145, C. 67; V. 140, C. ?; V. 147, C. 72; V. 149, 

 C. 68; the five Daru, Bantam, examples: — V. 139, C. 79; V. 137, C.?; V. 143, 

 C. ?; V. 137, C. 89; V. 139, C. 72; and the Depok fifteen: — V. 128, C. 77; 

 V. 142, C. 67; V. 143, C. 69; V. 132, C. 72; V. 145, C. 66; V. 141, C. 72; V. 141, 

 C.?; V. 141, C. 67; V. 145, C. 73; V. 140, C. 52; V. 144, C.?; V. 147, C.?; 

 V. 139, C. 70; V. 134, C. 78. The lepidosis does not afford any basis for the 



