93. oligodon. 

 Table showing Numbees of Scaies and Shiblbs. 



235 



venustus 



travancoricus . . , 



nffinis 



hitorqvatus 



trilineatus 



modestus...^ 



notospilm 



everetti 



propinquus 



bnvicauda 



dorsalis 



templetonii 



nublineatus 



ellioti 



suhgriseus 



vertebralis 



waandersii 



melanocephalus 



1. Oligodon venustus. 



Oligodon venustus, Jet-don, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. rxii. 1853, p. 528; 



Bouleng. Faun. Ind., JRept. p. 317 (1890). 

 Simotes binotatus (non D. 8f B.), Gunth. Cat. p. 24 (1858). 

 ■ venustus, Oiintk. Sept. Brit. Ind. p. 213 (1864), and Ann. Sf 



Mag. N. H. (4) i. 1868, p. 416. 



Nasal divided ; portion of rostral seen from above as long aa 

 its distance from the frontal or a little shorter ; sutiire between 

 the internasals shorter than that between the prsefrontals ; frontal 

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

 parietals ; no loreal, the posterior nasal sometimes forming a 

 suture with the praeooular ; prseocular single ; two postooulars ; 

 temporals 1 + 2 ; usually seven (rarely six) upper labials, third and 

 fourth entering the eye, sixth frequently excluded from the labial 

 border and taking the position of a lower anterior temporal; four 

 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields ; posterior 

 chin-shields one half to two thirds the length of the amerior. 

 Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 143-162; anal divided; subcaudals 

 28-36. Pale brown or greyish above, with a series of paired large 

 oval or rhomboidal blackish spots edged with yellowish, which are 

 usually united mesially ; a large, more irregular spot below each 

 dorsal spot ; head-markings consisting of a crescentic anterior 

 cross band, passing through the eye, an oblique band on each side, 

 from the parietal to below the angle of the mouth, and a broad 

 angular band on the nape ; top of head frequently with black vermi- 

 culations. Lower surfaces black and yellow, the two colours in 

 nearly equal proportions, except under the tail, where the yellow 

 predominates, or where sometimes black spots are entirely wanting. 



