132 BARBOUR: ZOOGEOGRAPHY. 



of a single individual, belonging to the subspecies coluhrina; a reduction to six 

 occurs on one side of a snake of the other series. 



It is quite useless in a case of this sort to give a list of the localities whence 

 the two forms of this species have been recorded. They have both very nearly 

 the same range, — from the eastern coasts of India to the China Seas, and through 

 the western Pacific as far as the Friendly and Society Islands. Stejneger records 

 the first subspecies from as far north as Okinawa-shima, Riu Kiu Islands. The 

 form coluhrina is not known definitely from this region. 



For the benefit of those who study this group it may be added that this 

 collection contains specimens from the following localities: — Java, Singapore, 

 Australia, New Caledonia, Pelew Islands, Philippine Islands, Ternate, and 

 Fiji Islands, besides a number from less definite localities, as, for example, from 

 the Indian Ocean. 



Since the above was written I may add that I find that Peters and Doria, in 

 their "Rettile e Batrachi Austro-malese," 1878, p. 412, regard the form which 

 possesses the azygous shield as a variety of the form in which it is wanting. 



Pseudelaps muelleri insulae Barbour.' 

 Babboub, Bull. M. C. Z., 1908, 51, p. 320. 



Type: — No. 7,080, M. C. Z., one specimen, Djamna Island, Dutch Papua. 

 T. Barbour, collector. Djamna is a small islet, situated off the Saar district 

 between Cape D 'Urville and Humboldt's Bay. It lies a few miles southeast of 

 the Arimoa (Kumamba) group of islands. 



Rostral scale visible from above. The eye is somewhat greater in diameter 

 than its distance from the mouth. The scales around the body are in 15 rows; 

 the ventrals 146, and the subcaudals 19 pairs, in number. The anal is divided. 

 Total length 400 mm.; tail, 32 mm. Boulenger's (Cat. snakes Brit, mus., 1896, 

 3, p. 317) measurements of P. muelleri are as follows: — "Total length 500 millim.; 

 tail 70." 



Color: — In life this is almost coal-black above, with rich plumbeous irides- 

 cence when held in bright light. The ventral surface is, in general, dusky white. 

 Along each of the gastrosteges runs a line of dark brown spots ; these spots occur 

 in a closely grouped cluster at the ends of each ventral scale. In the gular region 

 the spots fuse and grow darker in color; the general effect is a very deep brown. 

 On the lower labials small white spots occur, irregularly scattered. In alcohol, 



> Recently van Lidth de Jeude has shown that this curiously colored race occurs also on the main- 

 land of Papua near Djauma. If this race seems to be really localized geographically, my name may 

 stand to designate it. Cf. van Lidth dc Jeude, Nova Guinea, 5, 4, 1911, p. 527-529. 



