124 SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



OPHITES TESSELLATUS (Jan) 



Lycodon tessellatus Jan, Elenco Sist. Ofid. (1863) 96; Icon. Gen. 



(1870) 36, pi. 4, fig. 2; Mullee, III. Nacht. Cat. Herp. Samml. 



Basel Mus. (1883) 17; Boettger, Ber. Senck. Nat. Ges. (1886) 



114; BOULENGER, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 1 (1893) 351; Casto de 



Elera, Cat. Fauna Filipinas 1 (1895) 437. 

 Ophites tesselatiis Griffin, Philip. Journ. Sci. § D 6 (1911) 258 



(typ. err.) 



Description of species. — "Snout moderately depressed; eye 

 rather small. Rostral broader than deep, just visible from above ; 

 internasals much shorter than the prasf rontals ; frontal nearly 

 as long as its distance from the end of the snout, slightly shorter 

 than the parietals ; loreal elongate, not entering the eye, forming 

 a suture with the internasal; one prse- and two postoculars; 

 temporals small, scale-like, 2 -|- 3 ; nine upper labials, third, 

 fourth, and fifth entering the eye; four lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields, which are longer than the poste- 

 rior. Scales smooth, in 17 rows. Anal divided. Subcaudals 

 in two rows. Above with three series of alternating black 

 spots; ventrals and subcaudals brown, edged with whitish." 

 (Boulenger.) 



Remarks. — The type locality is "Manila auf Luzon." This 

 is the only exact locality known. Miiller's specimen is labeled 

 "Philippinen." Evidently this species is very rare. 



OPHITES SUBCINCTUS (Boie) 

 Plate 8 



Lycodon subcinctus BoiB, Isis (1827) 551; Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 



2 (1837) 117, pi. 4, figs. 14, 15; Boulenger, Proc. Zool. Soc. 



London (1890) 34. 

 Lycodon platurinus Cantor, Cat. Mai. Rept. (1S47) 69. 

 Ophites subcinctus Dumeril and Bibron, Erp. Gen. 7 (1854) 398; 



GiJNTHER, Cat. Col. Snakes (1858) 206; Rept. Brit. India (1864) 



322; Jan, Icon. Gen. (1870) 36, pi. 5, fig. 4; Blanford, Proc. 



Zool. Soc. London (1881) 222, pi. 21, fig. 2; Griffin, Philip. Journ. 



Sci. § A 4 (1909) 596; § D 6 (1911) 258. 

 Elapoides annulatus Sauvacb, Bull. Soc. Philom. VII 8 (1884) 144. 



Description, of species.— (From No. 659, Bureau of Science 

 collection; collected at Iwahig, Palawan, August 26, 190S, 

 by C. M. Weber.) (Adult male.) Head and snout much de- 

 pressed, almost spatulate; rostral scarcely visible above, much 

 broader than high, the sutures with internasals and nasals sub- 

 equal; internasal?. small, about one-third the size of prefrontals, 

 narrowed medially, about as wide as long; prefrontals large! 

 about as wide as long, longest on sides, forming mutual suture, 

 entering eye ; frontal longer than wide, longer than and more 

 than twice as wide as supraoculars, much shorter than its dis- 



