6. ASPIDITES. 91 



small yellowisli spots along the back ; or brick-rod with bluish, 

 black-edged spots ; young pinkish or yellowish, with purplish or 

 reddish-brown markings ; lower parts yellowish white. 



Total length 1450 millim. ; tail 200. 



New Guinea. 



a. g (Sc. 57; V. 227; Mt. Arfak. PIr. Braiin [C.l. 



0. 92). 

 i-c. Yg. (Sc. 61, 59; Mausinam. M. L. Laglaize [O.'J. 



V. 240,238; C. 84, 109). 



d. $ (Sc. 57; V. 237; N.W. New Guinea. M. A. Linden rci 

 0.86). 



e. $ (Sc. 61; V. 237; New Guinea. 

 C. 87). 



6. ASPIDITES. 



Aspidiotes {non BoucM), Kreft, Proc. Zool. Sac. 1864, p. 20, and 



Austral. Snakes, p. 33 (1869). 

 Aspidites, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1876, p. 914. 



No proemaxillary teeth. Anterior maxillary and mandibular 

 teeth longest, gradually decreasing in size. Head slightly distinct 

 from neck, with large symmetrical shields ; nostril lateral, in a 

 single nasal, which is separated from its fellow by a pair of inter- 

 nasals ; rostral rather large. Eye small, with vertical pupil. Body 

 cylindrical ; scales small, smooth. Tail moderate, not or scarcely 

 prehensile ; subcaudals mostly in a single row. 



North Australia. 



1. Aspidites melanocephalus. 



Aspidiotes melanocephalus, Krefft, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864. p. 20, fig. ; 

 OUnth. Ann. Sr Mag. N. H. (3) xviii. 1866, p. 29 ; Krefft, Austral. 

 Sn. p. 33, pi. iii. (1869) ; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1876, p. 533. 



Eostral broader than deep, the portion visible from above half as 

 long as its distance from the frontal ; internasals as broad as long, 

 shorter than the anterior prsefrontals ; posterior praefrontals just 

 touching each other in front of the frontal ; latter slightly longer 

 than broad ; parietals subdivided into small shields ; a large loreal ; 

 two or three prasoculars ; three or four postooulars ; eleven or 

 twelve upper labials, sixth entering the eye. Scales in 53 rows. 

 Ventrals 330 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 64, only a few of which are 

 divided. Light brown above, with darker cross bars, yellowish 

 beneath ; head and neck jet-black above and below. 



Total length 2050 millim. ; tail 220. 



North Australia. 



a. ? (Sc. 53; V. 330; Port Denison. G. Krefft, Esq. '[P.]. 



C. 64). (Type.) 



