74 



SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



rostral wider than high, visible from above, pointed behind; 

 internasals small, wider than deep, narrowed medially, the suture 

 between them about one-third that between prefrontals; pre- 

 frontals longer than wide, rounding behind, their mutual suture 



longest, their shortest suture with 

 posterior nasal; frontal as wide as 

 long, equal in length to its distance 

 from end of snout; parietals broken 

 into 5 scales, none as large as frontal, 

 but the 3 bordering frontal largest; 

 interparietal a little larger than 

 anterior or posterior parietals; a 

 sixth scale borders interparietal be- 

 hind and is smallest, a little larger 

 than body scales; nasal divided, nos- 

 tril nearly surrounded by anterior 

 part, posterior part largest; loreal 

 (or preocular) very large, broadly 

 entering eye and forming a broad 

 suture with frontal, bordered by 2 

 labials below; supraocular present, 

 very small, less than one-eighth the 

 size of frontal, less than either of the 

 2 postoculars ; 2 anterior temporals, 

 the lower in contact with both postoculars, the upper with one; 

 3 posterior temporals ; 8 upper labials, fourth and fifth entering 

 eye (only the fourth on the left side) ; first labial in contact with 

 internasal; 8 lower labials, 3 in contact with the single pair of 

 chin shields; scales in 15 rows, smooth, without apical pits, the 

 median dorsals smallest, the outer scale row largest and ventral ; 

 ventrals, 178, comparatively narrow ; anal divided ; subcaudals, 

 29; the scale immediately in front of anal scale much enlarged, 

 and the subcaudal scale behind anus single. 



Color m alcohol. — Above purplish brown, each scale lighter on 

 the edges, the light color becoming more pronounced laterally 

 and appearing as longitudinal dotted lines ; the second outer row 

 of scales has only a dim brownish spot on each scale; the first 

 row has no dark color, but is yellowish ; lower labials with 

 brownish purple spots on each scale ; dark spots on chin shields ; 

 belly immaculate; underside of tail with large purplish spots 

 for more than half its length ; a broad, dim, lighter nuchal collar. 



Fig. 5. Xctiopeltis unicolor Rein- 

 wardt ; after Boulenger ; a, head, 

 dorsal view ; h, head, lateral view. 



