34 COLTJBEID^. 



the eye. Scales in 17 rows, all keeled except tlie two outer on each 

 side ; the keels on the row on each side of the vertebral strongest. 

 Ventrals not angulate, 152 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 94. Green 

 above and on the outer fourth of the ventral shields, yellow beneath ; 

 the keels of the median three dorsal rows black. 



Total length 1240 miUim. ; tail 365. 



Costa Eioa. 



5. Coluber porphyraceus. 



Coluber porphyraceus, Cantor, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 51 ; Giinth. 



Sept. Brit. Ind. p. 239, pi. xx. fig. J (1864) ; Anders. Proc. Zool. 



Soc. 1871, p. 172, and An. Zool. Res. Yunnan, p. 812 (1879) ; 



Subrecht, in Snelleman, Nat. Hist. Midden-Sumatra, Rept. p. 5, 



pi. — . fig. 1 (1887). 

 Psammophis nigrofasciatus, Cantor, I. c. p. 53. 

 Coronella callicephalus, Gray, Ann. ^ Mag. N. H. (2) xii. 1853, 



p. 390 ; Blyth, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xxiii. 1855, p. 289. 

 Coluber callicephalus, Gunth. Cat. p. 92 (1858). 

 Ablabes porphyraceus, Bouleng. Faun. Ind., Rept. p. 308 (1890). 



Eostral nearly twice as broad as deep, visible from above ; inter- 

 nasals shorter than the prsefrontals ; frontal broad, as long as or a 

 little longer than its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than 

 the parietals ; loreal rather small, longer than deep ; a large prse- 

 ocular ; two postoculars; temporals 1+2; eight upper labials, 

 fourth and fifth entering the eye ; four or five lower labials in 

 contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are longer than the 

 posterior. Scales smooth, in 19 rows. Ventrals without keel, 

 190-215 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 52-76. Pale reddish brown 

 above, with dark brown black-edged cross bands ; a black streak 

 along the middle of the head, and another on each side, from the 

 eye to the first transverse band ; the whole or posterior part of body 

 and tail with two longitudinal black lines, in addition to the cross 

 bands ; lower parts uniform yellow. 



Total length 760 millim. ; tail 140. 



Eastern Himalayas, hiUs of Assam, Burma, Yunnan, Malay 

 Peninsula, Sumatra. 



a. c? (V. 197 ; 0. 68). Khaai Hills. Sir J. Hooker [P.]. 



(Type of C. callicephalus.) 



h-e. c? (V. 208; C. 76) & Khasi Hills? Dr. Griffith. 



2 (V. 206 ; C. 73). 



<?-/.$ (V. 213, 213 ; C. ?, Khasi Hills. T. C. Jerdon, Esq. 



72) & yg. (V. 199; [P.]. 



C. 66). 



g. Yg. (V. 195; C. 72). Himalayas. Col. Beddome [CI. 



h-l. o (V. 212; 0. 60), Darieeling. W. T. Blauford,Esq. 



hgr. (V. 202; C. 63), [P.]. 



& yg.(V. 205, 190; C. 



59, 65). 



m-o. 5 (V. 208; 0. 57) Toungyi, Shan States, Lieut. Blakewav [CI. 

 & yg. (V. 204. 190; C. 5000 ft. 



60, 04). 



p. Yg. (V. 215 ; C. 76). Singapore. Dr. Cantor. 



(Type of P. nigrofasciatus^ 



