64 SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



first iiiterlabial suture; preocular narrower and much shorter 

 than ocular, in contact with 2 labials below ; ocular large, with 

 a slight, rounded prominence over eye ; eye and pupil distinct ; 

 4 postoculars between parietal and fourth labial ; 4 labials, first 

 and second smallest, subequal in size, third more than twice as 

 large as second and about half the size of fourth; scales in 

 26 rows; about 430 scales in a longitudinal line to above vent; 

 40 scales in a row on underside of tail; body width in body 

 length, 56.6; tail width in tail length, 7.2. 



Color in life.— Above light yellowish brown, gradually becom- 

 ing lighter below; head lighter with curving lighter marks; 

 laterally there is a distinct, more or less rectangular, lighter 

 spot, including eye and reaching mouth. Each ventral scale 

 has a regular darker brown area. 



Measurements of Typhlops longicauda Taylor. 



mm. 



Total length 340 



Tail 34.5 



Width of head 5.5 



Width of body 6 



Width of tail 4.75 



Variation. — Ten other specimens of this species are in my 

 collection; all differ from the type in having a single parietal. 

 This character in the type may be anomalous. The origin of 

 the nasal suture is not fixed, usually arising near the first inter- 

 labial suture, sometimes from first labial, sometimes from sec- 

 ond. The body width in the body length varies from 45 to 68, 

 the average being about 52 ; the tail is from six to seven times 

 longer than broad, the average being about 6.2. They vary in 

 shade from yellowish to golden brown above, somewhat lighter 

 below. 



Remarks. — This species has a very marked, apparently normal 

 enlargement of the pelvic bones, and the tail is comparatively 

 longer than in any other of the extremely numerous species of 

 this genus. The specimens were obtained for the most part 

 from root masses of the large aerial fern Asplenimn nidus. 

 They were common at Bunawan, Agusan. Two were taken from 

 the trunks of small trees which were tunneled by large black 

 ants. The species feeds on the larva? of ants and centipedes. 

 It is known only from the type locality. It appears to be related 

 to Typhlops cumingii Gray but differs from it in having a longer 

 tail, in the larger number of scale rows, and in having the pre- 

 ocular in contact with 2 labials instead of 1. 



