60. COLUBBK. 43 



broad, longer than its distance from the end of the snout, aa long as 

 or a trifle shorter than the parietals ; loreal small, as long as deep ; 

 one prsB- and two postoculars ; temporals 1 + 2 or 3; seven upper 

 labials, third and fourth entering the eye; four lower labials in 

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

 terior. Scales in 23 rows. Ventrals 208-222, rounded ; anal divided; 

 subcaudals 62-74. Scarlet above, with black spots and a dorsal 

 series of large rhomboidal black spots with a yellow centre ; head 

 with black symmetrical markings as in Simotes, viz. a cross band 

 on the end of the snout, a crescentic band across the forehead, 

 passing through the eyes, and a ^-shaped one on the occiput ; lower 

 parts yellow, with large black transverse spots or cross bands. 



Total length 700 millim. ; tail 120. 



Chusan. 



a. ? (V. 222 ; 0. 62). Chusan. Dr. Cantor. (Type.) 



6. Hgr. (V. 208 ; C. 74). Chusan. 



16. Coluber rufodorsatus. 



Tropidonotus rufodorsatus, Cantor, Zool. Chusan, pi. xiii. (1840), 



and Ann. ^ Mag. N. H. ix. 1842, p. 483. 

 Ablabes sexlineatus, Bum. Sr Bibr. vii. p. 324 (1854). 

 Coluber rufodorsatus, Giinth. Cat,, p. 89 (1858), and Kept. Brit. 



Ind. p. 238, pi. XX. %. G (1864) ; Strauch, Schl. Buss. B. p. 79 



(1873) ; Boettff. Ber. Offenb. Ver. Nat. 1888, p. 70. 

 Coronella sexlineata, Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1883, p. 249, 



and Icon. Oen. 14, pi. vi. tigs. 2 & 3 (1865). 

 Simotes herzi, Boettg. Zool. Anz. 1886, p. 519. 

 Ablabes rufodorsatus, Bouleng. Ann. Sf Mag. N. H. (6) v. 1890, 



p. 138. 



Rostral broader than deep, scarcely visible from above ; inter- 

 nasals as broad as long or a little longer than broad, as long as or a 

 .little shorter than the prsefrontals ; frontal once and a half to twice 

 as long as broad, as long as its distance from the end of the snout, 

 shorter than the parietals ; loreal as long as deep or a little longer ; 

 one (rarely two) prffi- and two postoculars; temporals 2 + 3; seven 

 (rarely eight) upper labials, third and fourth (or fourth and fifth) 

 entering the eye ; four or five lower labials in contact with the 

 anterior chin-shields, which are as long as the posterior. Scales 

 smooth, in 21 rows. Ventrals 162-190, rounded; anal divided; 

 subcaudals 47-68. Yellowish olive above, with an orange vertebral 

 line and four series of olive, black-edged, elongate spots, which are 

 posteriorly, or throughout, confluent into longitudinal bands ; the 

 two median of these bauds meet on the vertex ; a /^-shaped black 

 band on the snout, extending from eye to eye, and a black band 

 from the eye to the angle of the mouth ; belly bright yellow, 

 checkered with black; tail with four or five black longitudinal 

 streaks. 



Total length 650 millim. ; tail 95. 



Eastern Siberia and China. 



