164 TJKOPELIID-a;. 



2. Melanophidium punctatum. 



Melanophidium punctatum, Beddome, Madras Monthly Journ. Med. 

 So. 1871 ; Ounth. Proa. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 230, pi. xxxii fig. B ; 

 Theob. Cat. Kept. Brit. Ind. p. 139 (1876) ; Beddome, Ann. ^ Mag. 

 N. H. (5) xvii. 1886, p. 31 ; Bouleng. Faun. Lid., Rept. p. 273 

 (1890). 



Snout rounded ; rostral small, just visible from above; frontal as 

 long as or longer than its distance from the end of the snout ; suture 

 between the ocular and the frontal less than one third the length of 

 the latter shield. Eye very small, stiU smaller than in M. wyna- 

 dense. Diameter of body 42 to 48 times in the total length. 15 

 scales round the middle of the body, 17 behind the head. Ventrals 

 rather more than twice as broad as the contiguous scales, 183-198. 

 Subcaudals 15-18. Black above, beautifully iridescent ; ventrals 

 and the two lower series of scales on each side with a broad white 

 border. 



Total length 550 millim. 



Travaucore Hills, 4000-4500 feet. 



a, b-c. S (V. 198, 194, Travancore. Col. Beddome fO.l. 



189 ; C. 15, 18, 16). (Types.) 



d-e. d (V. 184 ; C. 16) & Travancore. Col. Beddome [0.1. 



yg. (V.191J 0.16). 



/. c? (V. 183 ; 0. 17). Peermad, Travancore, G. E. Mason, Esq. 



4000 feet. [P.]. 



3. Melanophidium bilineatum. 



Melanophidium bilineatum, Beddome, Madras Monthly Journ. Med. 

 So. 1870; Qiinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1875, p. 230, pi. xxxii. fig. A ; 

 Theob. Cat. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 138 (1876) ; Beddome, Ann. ^ 

 Mag, N. H. (5) xvii. 1886, p. 30; Bouleng. Faun. Ind., Rept. 

 p. 273 (1890). 



Snout rounded ; rostral small, just visible from above ; frontal 

 longer than its distance from the end of the snout ; suture between 

 the ocular and the frontal less than one third the length of the latter 

 shield. Eye very small. Diameter of body 40 to 50 times in the 

 total length. 15 scales round the middle of the body, 17 or 19 

 behind the head. Ventrals rather more than twice as broad as the 

 contiguous scales, 188-200. Subcaudals 15-17. Black, beautifully 

 iridescent ; a broad yellow band, with or without a series of black 

 dots, along each side, from the lips to the tail, where it unites with 

 its fellow on the under surface. 



Total length 360 millim. 



Wynad, Malabar, 4000 feet. 



a. d (V. 188; 0.15). Wynad. OoL Beddome [0.1. 



(Type 'j 

 h-c. S ( V. 192 ; 0. 16) & Wynad. Ool. Beddome [0.1. 



yg. (V. 200 ; C. 17). '- "' 



