183 



11. Valamaria variabilis n. sp. (plate XVI, flg. 8). 



Java: Buitenzorg, 1 spec. 



Upper-labials flve, the first pair of lower-labials are not in contact 

 with each other; there is no azygos shield in contact with the ante- 

 rior chin-shields. Head rather long, snout somewhat pointed; vertical 

 nearly twice as long as broad, six-sided, with a very acute posterior 

 angle. The third and fourth upper-labials entering the orbit. One pos- 

 terior and one anterior ocular shield. On both sides of the small scale 

 lyiag in the middle between the occipitals, lies a large white-coloured 

 scale nearly twice as broad as the surrounding ones. Our specimen 

 has 192 ventrals and 21 pairs of subcaudals. 



Upper parts black except the two large scales already mentioned, 

 lying just behind the occipitals. Underparts and the outer row of 

 scales spotlessly whitish. It may be mentioned as a curious fact 

 that our specimen in getting dry after being taken out of spirits as- 

 sumes an altogether different coloration. Nearly all the scales of the 

 back assume a greyish-blue colour, whilst the scales of the outer 

 series, the ventrals and the subcaudals get the glossy whitish-yellow 

 colour peculiar to china. I think this change of colour must be attributed 

 to the air getting between the epidermis and the colour-layer of the scales. 

 Our only specimen is a rather small one measuring only 24 c. m. 



Pseudorhabdion. 



12. Pseudorhabdion torquatum Dum. et Bibr. 



Sumatra: Singkarah, 1 spec. 

 This specimen differs from Dumeril's description and from the only 

 specimen in the Leyden Museum from Celebes by the absence of a 

 posterior ocular and in not having one or two small scales between 

 the chin-shields. There is no light spot on the head, the collar round 

 the upper part of the neck is very clearly visible, and every scale 

 has a light spot in its centre. As there is only one specimen in the 

 collection, I am not in a position to make out whether these pecu- 

 liarities are characteristic to all specimens from Sumatra, in which 

 case these ought to be regarded als belonging to a local variety of 

 the species. 



Oligodontidae. 

 Oligodon. 



13. Oligodon subquadratus Dum. et Bibr. 



Java: Buitenzorg, 1 spec. 



