8. XENOCHEOPHIS. 191 



a, b. J (V. 210 ; C. 118) Madagascar. 



& ? (V. 210 ; C. 113). 

 c. 6 (V. 198 ; C. ?). Imerina. Rev. R. Baron [0.]. 



8. XENOCHEOPHIS. 



Tropidonotus, part., Oilnth. Cat. Col. Sn. p. 59 (1858). 

 XenochropHs, GUnth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 273 (1864) ; Bouleng. 

 Faun. Ind., Bept. p. 353 (1890). 



Maxillary teeth about 20, subequal ; anterior mandibular teeth 

 largest. Head slightly distinct from neck; eye moderate, with 

 round pupil; nostrils directed upwards, pierced iu a single nasal. 

 Body cylindrical ; scales keeled, without apical pits, in 19 rows ; 

 ventrals rounded. Tail moderate ; subcaudals in two rows. Hypa- 

 pophyses developed throughout the vertebral column. 



South-eastern Asia. 



1. Xenochrophis cerasogaster. 



Psammophis cerasogaster, Cantor, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 52. 

 Tropidonotus cerasogaster, Cantor, Cat. Mai. Bept. p. 92 (1847) ; 



Gunth. Cat. p. 79 (1858). 

 Xenochrophis cerasogaster, Gunth. Bept. Brit. Ind. p. 274 (1864) ; 



Theob. Cat. Bept. Brit. Ind. p. 180 (1876) ; Bouleng. Faun. Ind., 



Bept. p. 353, fig. (1890). 

 Amphiesma schistaceum, Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. iii. 1865, 



p. 236, 



Head narrow, elongate, with angular can thus rostrahs and slightly 

 concave lores ; eye moderate or rather small. Eostral once and one 

 third to twice as broad as long; suture between the internasals 

 nearly as long as that between the praefrontals ; frontal narrow, 

 much longer than its distance from the end of the snout, as long as 

 the parietals ; loreal as long as deep or a little longer than deep ; 

 one prsBocular ; two or three postoculars and one or two suboculars ; 

 temporals 2+2 or 2+3; nine upper labials, fourth entering the 

 eye ; five or six lower labials in contact with the anterior chin- 

 shields, which are as long as or a little shorter than the posterior. 

 Scales strongly keeled, in 19 rows. Ventrals 140-151 ; anal 

 divided ; subcaudals 60-79. Brown above, -vfith or without darker 

 spoos and with a more or less distinct paler dorso-lateral stripe ; 

 lower parts cherry-red to purplish black, with a yellow stripe on 

 each side extending from the Ups to the end o' the tail. 



Total length 600 millim. ; tail 140. 



From Bengal, Assam, and the Khasi Hills to the Malay Peninsula. 



a-f. ? (V. 149, 151, 146, 150, India. 



145; 0.72, 68,66, 68,?) &yg. 



(V. 140; 0.79). 

 g. S (V. 140 ; 0. 76). Khasi Hills. Sir J. Hooker [P.]. 



h. d (V. 141 ; 0. 70). Pmang. Dr. Cantor. 



