303 



COLUBEIDiE. 



31. ACHALINUS. 



Achalinus, Petei-s, Mim. Berl. Ac. 1869, p. 438. 

 Ophielaps, Sauvage, Bull. Soc. Philoin. (7) i, 1877, p. 103. 



Maxillary teeth 22 to 25, small, equal ; niaiidjbular teeth equal. 

 Head not distinct from neck ; eye small, with round or vertically 

 subelliptio pupil ; nostril rather large, pierced in the anterior of two 

 nasals ; posterior nasal concave ; no prseoeular, loreal extending 

 from the nasals to the eye ; postoeulars not distinct from anterior 

 temporals. Body cylindrical, slender ; scales lanceolate, feebly 

 imbricate, keeled, without apical pits, in 21 to 25 rows ; ventrals 

 rounded. Tail long, subcaudals single. Hypapophyses developed 

 throughout the vfertebral column. 



China and Japan. 



Synojpsis oftlie Species. 



Scales in 25 rows ; suture between the 

 internasals longer than that between the 

 prajfrontals 1. rufeseens, p. 308. 



Scales in 23 or 25 rows ; suture between 

 the internasals shorter than that be- 

 tween the praefrontals 2. Iraconiiieri, p. 309. 



Scales in 21 rows ; suture between the 

 internasals as long as that between the 

 prajfrontals 3. spinalis, p. 309. 



1. Achaliims rufescens. (Plate XX. fig. 2.) 



Achalinus rufescens, Bouleng. Ann. ^ Mng. N. H. (6) ii. 1888, 

 p. 43. 



Head narrow, elongate ; rostral small, as deep as broad, not 

 visible from above ; suture between the internasals twice as long as 

 that between the praefrontals; frontal broader than long, hardly 

 half as long as the parietals, four times as broad as the supraocular ; 

 only the upper anterior temporal in contact with the eye ; temporals 

 2 + 2; three shields bordering the parietals on each side, the third 

 very large and separated from its fellow by a small scale; six upper 

 labials, first very small, fourth and fifth eutering the eye, sixth much 

 elongate : three pairs of large chin-shields, immediately followed 

 by the ventrals. Scales strongly keeled, some distinctly trioarinate, 

 in 25 rows. Ventrals 136 ; anal entire : subcaudals 82. Uniform 

 pale reddish brown above ; upper labials and a spot on the temple 

 yellow ; uniform yellowish beneath. 



Total length 290 millim. ; tail 80. 



Southern China. 



a, ,5 (V. 1.30; C 821. Hong Kong. City Hall Museum, Hong Kong 



[E.]. (Type.) 



