TRIMERESURUS 297 



Tropidolxmus (sp.) F. Muller, Verh. Nat. Ges. Basel 8 (1887) 281. 

 Lachesis wagleri Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 3 (1896) 562. 

 Trimeresunis tvagleri Griffin, Philip. Journ. Sci. § A 4 (1909) 601; 

 § D 6 (1911) 267. 



Whether the Philippine specimens of Trimeresurus tvagleri 

 Boie (as understood in Boulenger's Catalogue) should be divided 

 into further subspecies is a debatable question. Gray described 

 two species, TriTnesurus subamiulatus and Trimesttrus philip- 

 pensis, from his Philippine material. Other writers have recog- 

 nized certain of the forms as distinct species, others as sub- 

 species; as a consequence we find subannulatus, Tropiclolaemus 

 subanmdatus var. macidatus, and T. philippinensis, recorded by- 

 Peters * from the Philippines, the first and last regarded as spe- 

 cies, the other merely a variety of suhannulatus. Boettger f 

 in his list includes hombroni, Tri-yneresurus philippinensis, and 

 Trimeresurus ivagleri, placing the Tropidolaemiis subannulatus 

 and Tropidolaimus maculatus of Peters as synonyms of Tri- 

 meresurus ivagleri. Boulenger t has divided the species La- 

 chesis wagleri into a series of varieties without naming them. 

 The types of Trimesurus subannulatus Gray, are relegated to 

 the Cophias ivagleri group ; the specimens were from the Philip- 

 pines, the exact locality unknown. In this same group are placed 

 three specimens from Palawan, two from Mindanao, and three 

 from Luzon. 



The types of Trimesurus philippensis Gray are placed in the 

 group of Tropiclolaemus hombroni Guichenot. 



For an understanding of the Philippine fauna I regard it as 

 essential that the varieties of Trimeresurus ivagleri Boie which 

 exist in the Philippines be recognized as subspecies. I have had 

 at hand for study more than forty specimens ; fifteen from Min- 

 danao, sixteen from Palawan and Balabac, one from Negros, 

 and eleven with localities uncertain. In this lot I am able to 

 recognize three distinct variations, in at least two of which 

 the differentiating characters hold throughout fairly large series 

 of specimens. Trimesurus philippensis of Gray is a distinct spe- 

 cies. 



Key to the subspecies of Trimeresurus tvagleri (Boie). 



a\ Ventrals, 139; subcaudals, 51; 12 scales between supi-aoculars; bars 

 across body, 45 (average counts of 15 specimens) ; scales in 21 to 

 25 rows, keeled. Bluish green barred above with narrow stripes of 

 white and dark blue, 2 scales wide; ventrals edged with black and 



* Mon. Berl Ak. (1861) 69,1. 



tBer. Senck. Nat. Ges. (1886) 120. 



+ Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 3 (1896) 562. 



