HOLARCHUS 141 



Simotes phxvochalinus CoPE, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 



(1860) 244; Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 2 (1894) 225; 



BoETTGER, Ber. Senck. Nat. Ges. (1886) 107; Fischer, -Jahrb. 



wiss. Anst. Hamburg 2 (188.5) 80; Casto de Elera, Cat. Fauna 



Filipinas 1 (189.5) 427. 

 Simotes ajjhanospilus CoPE, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia (1860) 



245; Boettger, Ber. Senck. Nat. Ges. (1886) 107. 

 Simotes ancoralis Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. 2 (1863) 2.3.3; Icon. 



Gen. 11 (1865) pi. 4, fig. 2; Steindachnee, Novara, Rept. (1867) 



61; MtJLLER, III. Nacht. Cat. Herp. Samml. Basel Mus. (1883) 14. 

 Holarcltus phienochaUtms Griffin, Philip. .Journ. Sci. § D 6 (1911) 



259. 

 Holarckus avcorufi Taylor, Philip. Journ. Sci. § D 13 (1918) 361. 



Description of species. — (From No. R 429, E. H. Taylor col- 

 lection; collected in Manila, June 15, 1915, by E. H. Taylor.) 

 (Adult male.) Rostral large, much higher than wide; portion 

 of rostral seen above nearly equal to its distance from frontal, 

 sharply pointed behind ; internasals , small, wider than deep, 

 their mutual suture shortest ; their longest suture with pre- 

 frontal ; latter nearly twice as wide as deep, the suture between 

 them somewhat longer than that between internasals; frontal 

 much wider in front than behind, longer than its distance from 

 end of snout, little longer than wide, twice the width of supra- 

 ocular; parietals scarcely longer than wide, equal to or a little 

 longer than frontal ; nasal partially divided, the anterior part 

 largest ; loreal longer than wide ; 1 preocular ; 2 postoculars ; 

 supraocular twice as long as wide ; temporals 1 + 2 ; 7 upper 

 labials, third and fourth entering eye ; 7 or 8 lower labials, first 

 4 in contact with first pair of chin shields; mental small, wider 

 than deep, not in contact with anterior chin shields, which are 

 one and a half times the length of posterior; scales in 17 smooth 

 rows with no apical pits; eye large, equal to its distance from 

 nostril; ventrals, 163; anal single; subcaudals, 42; eye less than 

 its distance from nostril. 



Color in life. — Brownish lavender above with a series of 

 eighteen large, dark, purplish spots edged with black, each 

 extending across back to first or second row of scales ; below 

 immaculate cream yellow; subcaudals with dull browm spots; 

 a large anchor-shaped, black-edged spot on nape of neck and 

 another on head, the front of which forms a band that crosses 

 head and eyes diagonally and includes fifth and sixth labials; 

 the main branch of anchor, which runs back medially, increases 

 in width toward neck where it bifurcates, sending a branch to 

 each side of neck ; a diagonal temporal streak present ; traces of 

 a yellowish vertebral streak visible. 



