f 



HOLARCHUS ]43 



i^emar/cs.— Boulenger * has placed Xenodon ancorus Girard as 

 a questioned synonym of this species. The differences are ob- 

 vious. In X. ancorus there are two preoculars (the Ipwer one 

 very small) and there are eight upper labials, the fourth and 

 fifth entering the eye. It is highly probable that this is merely 

 a variation from the normal, as it otherwise agrees with the 

 normal form. In one of the specimens (No. 910, Bureau of 

 Science collection) we have the increased number of labials on 

 one side, and the fourth and fifth labials entering the eye. 



It is probably confined to the Philippines. The reference of 

 specimens to Java is probably erroneous. The species is small, 

 and absolutely harmless. It appears very gentle when handled. 

 This species is not rare in Luzon. 



HOLARCHUS MACULATUS Taylor 



Plate 15 



Holarchus macidaUts Taylor, Philip. Journ. Sci. § D 13 (1918) 364, 

 pi. 1. 



Description of species. — (From the type, No. 40, E. H. Taylor 

 collection; collected at Bunawan, Agusan, August, 1912, by E. H. 

 Taylor.) Rostral moderate, higher than wide; portion visible 

 above less than half its distance from rostral ; suture between 

 internasals as large as or larger than prefrontal suture; pre- 

 frontals much larger than internasals, in contact laterally with 

 2 labials ; frontal hexagonal in shape, its length equal to parietals, 

 a little longer than its distance from end of snout ; parietals small, 

 as wide as long ; nasal not or at least only partially divided ; 

 nostril pierced near posterior margin; no loreal present; 2 small 

 preoculars, upper twice as large as lower ; supraocular not twice 

 as long as wide ; 2 postoculars ; temporals 1 -f 2 (on left side 

 1 + 1) ; 7 upper labials, only fourth entering eye; labials in the 

 following order of size : sixth, fourth, fifth, seventh, third, second, 

 first ; mental small, twice as wide as deep ; 7 lower labials, 3 

 touching first pair of chin shields, which are larger than second 

 pair; eye equal to its distance from nostril or minutely less; 

 scale's smooth, in 17 rows; ventrals, 164; anal single; subcaudals 

 double, .54 in number. 



Color 171 life. — Above pale lavender, with a series of twenty- 

 three broad blackish brown dorsal spots extending laterally to 

 ventrals ; dorsally the spots are seven or eight scales wide, but 

 narrowed laterally to a width of one or two scales ; the spots are 

 edged with narrow whitish lines ; the nuchal band runs forward 



Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 2 (1894) 226. 



