278 SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



elongate preociilar; frontal small, not twice as wide as supra- 

 ocular, three-fourths as wide as long, nearly triangular, not as 

 long as its distance from eiid of snout ; parietals longer than fron- 

 tal, slightly narrower; 2 nasals, the anterior largest; no loreal; 

 preocular large, much longer than wide; supraoculars about as 

 wide as long ; 2 small postoculars, the superior largest ; temporals 



1 + 2, anterior large, followed by one of equal size, and a smaller 

 one below; 6 upper labials, third and fourth entering eye; labials 

 in the following order of size : sixth, third, fifth, fourth, second, 

 first; 6 lower labials, 4 touching anterior chin shields; eye 

 small, about half as long as its distance from mouth; 2 pairs of 

 chin shields, subequal in length ; scales in 13 smooth rows, without 

 apical pits ; ventrals, 245 ; anal single ; subcaudals, 25 ; tail short. 



Color in life. — Above a dark yellowish brown, each scale edged 

 with darker ; a median darker line, beginning on neck, continuing 

 the length of body, broken occasionally by a yellowish spot; on 

 either side of this darker median line are 2 lighter stripes, below 

 which the ground color breaks into bands which encircle belly; 

 these narrow ventrally and number 43 on body, with 2 on tail; 

 below, they are dark brown to black, covering 4 or 5 ventral 

 scales, and are separated by orange-colored bands, which cover 



2 or 3 ventral scales but narrow on sides ; they extend usually to 

 fourth row of scales ; the irregular series of dim light spots on 

 the median dorsal dark line are between the ends of the light 

 abdominal bands; head brown, with indistinct darker shading; 

 darker between eyes and on tip of snout ; a black spot in the mid- 

 dle of sixth labial; chin variously mottled with brown and hght; 

 first labials with light spots; a white line crosses sixth labial; 

 chin spotted with dark ; bands under tail a brilliant scarlet, much 

 wider than those on belly, almost surrounding tail. 



Measurements of Doliophis philippiniis {GUnthcr}. 



mm. 

 Total length g.^c 



Snout to vent r^c 



Tail ^q 



Width of head g g 



Length of head -|^g g 



Variation.— A^ compared with the type, the described specimen 

 differs in having the frontal somewhat shorter than its distance 

 from end of snout : the ventrals are very much more numerous 

 than m the type, the latter haying only 218, while our specimen 

 has 245 ; the number of subcaudals is nearly equal. The known 

 range of ventrals is 218 to 255; of subcaudals, 25 to 27 



