185 



is to be seen on either side, these bands nearly as broad as two ven- 

 trals do not melt togetber on the back but remain isolated. Some 

 4 or 5 ventrals farther on a similar black crossband is to be seen on 

 each side büt now the band is of an irregulär form and shows a ten- 

 dency to become split up into two spots lying one above the other. 

 Five or six more ventrals lower down to the tail the irregulär black 

 spot is represented by two irregulär spots lying one above the other 

 and still farther on there are to be seen on each side 18 combinations 

 of three black spots lying one above the other, there being an inter- 

 vening space of five or six ventrals between combination and combi- 

 nation. Moreover there are on each side two black lines, the upper 

 beginning behind the third cross-band, the lower behind the fourth 

 and both running as far as the twentieth or last combination of spots. 

 This particular coloration, is only to be seen as far as the foremost 

 half of the body , the rest of the body and the tail being of a greyish 

 colour without any markings. In the smaUer specimen from Kotting 

 this coloration is not so clearly visible, the two dark lines being 

 only just indicated, but the series of black spots one above the other 

 are distinct enough. 



As to the pholidosis of the head the larger specimen quite agrees 

 with Schlegel's figure, having 8 upper-labials , the fourth and fifth of 

 them entering the orbit. The smaller specimen has 9 upper labials, the 

 fourth being a very small one lying beneath the lower praeocular and 

 the fifth and sixth entering the orbit. This agrees with Dumerü'sdes- 

 cription of a specimen of Composoma subradiatum from Timor pre- 

 sented by the Leyden Museum to that of Paris. Both our specimens 

 have 25 rows of scales, whilst both Schlegel and Dumeril agree in 

 stating that the specimens from Timor have 23 rows of scales. 



I think it not improbable that the specimens from Flores form a 

 local variety, but cannot vouch for it, as only two specimens were col- 

 lected. Still I am strongly inclined to believe both, the numerous spe- 

 cimens caught at Timor and the two specimens from Flores, to belong 

 to local varieties of the foUowing species E. radiatus Schi., a species 

 collected in Java, Sumatra, Borneo and several parts of the Indian 

 continent, but subject to many variations. 

 19. Elaphis radiatus Schlegel. 

 Java: Buitenzorg, 2 spec. 



These two young specimens agree in all points with Schlegel's des- 



