140 SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



1 postocular; nasal partially divided, longer than deep; a small 

 square loreal; preocular twice as long as wide; 2 postoculars, 

 upper nearly twice as large as lower ; temporals 2 + 2, only 

 first upper touching postoculars; 6 upper labials, third and 

 fourth entering eye, fifth and sixth rather narrowly in contact ; 

 mental small; 7 lower labials (6 on right side), first 4 border- 

 ing first pair of chin shields (3 on right side) ; second pair of 

 chin shields about half as large as first pair ; scales in 17 rows ; 

 162 ventrals, rather angulate; subcaudals, 43; eye moderate, 

 its diameter equal to its distance from anterior part of nostril. 

 Color in life. — Above reddish brown, with a median, salmon- 

 pink, longitudinal stripe covering one whole scale row, and two 

 half scale rows ; each scale of median row with a darker center ; 

 laterally a dim, grayish, longitudinal stripe ; on second outer 

 row of scales a series of dark dots ; a series of dim dark spots 

 on outer edge of ventrals ; head darker brown, with elongate 

 black spots on frontal and on inner part of parietals ; a black 

 stripe runs diagonally from neck to parietal ; a dark spot below 

 eye; belly bright, immaculate, rosy pink. 



Measttrements of HolnrchuH meyerinkii (Steiiidachner) . 



mm. 



Total length 305 



Snout to vent 257 



Tail 48 



Length of head 13 



Width of head 9 



Remarks. — This species appears to be confined to the Sulu 

 Archipelago ; the only definite records are Tawitawi and Bongao 

 Islands. These two records seem to be the only ones other than 

 the types which are labeled Sulu Islands with no definite local- 

 ities named. This species is separated from Holarchus octn- 

 lineatus * on the basis of its distinctive coloration and the 

 much smaller number of ventral and subcaudal scales. 



HOLARCHUS ANCORUS (Girard) 

 Plate 17, figs. 1 anh 2; Plate is, fig. 3 



Xcnodoii ancorus Girard, Proc. .\cad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia (IS.iT) 



182; U. S. Expl. Exped., Herp. (1S,^8) K!?. 

 Simoten purpiirascetis GUNTHER, Cat. Col. Snakes (1858^ 25; Peters, 



Mon. Berl. .Ak. (1861) ()84. 



* Barbour, Mem. Mus. ('i>mp. Znol. Ilarv. 44 (1912) lis, states: ■'//. Mciur- 

 liiikii (Steind.) was doubtless evolved by isolation fiH.m specimens of this 

 species [H. (irtnliiicn I ii<:] pi'obaldy derived from Borneo. 



