93. oLisoBox. 24?j 



from the end of the snout, as long as the parietals ; loreal as long 

 as deep; praeocular single; two postoculars ; temporals 1+2; 

 seven upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye ; three lower 

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

 shields about two thirds the length of the anterior. Scales in 

 15 rows. Ventrals 152; anal divided; subcaudals 29. Brown 

 above, with a median series of large rhombic black spots, on each 

 side of which is a smaU spot separated by a whitish border ; head 

 with black markings, viz. an angular band across the forehead, 

 passing through the eyes, and a second behind, with the apex on 

 the frontal, descending to below the angle of the mouth, and con- 

 fluent with a large nuchal spot; an angular interrupted, narrow 

 black band across the throat ; lower surfaces whitish, unspotted. 



Total length 270 millim. ; tail 30. 



Madras Presidency. 



«. ? (V. 152 ; C. 29). Madras Pres. Sir W. Elliot [P.]. (Type.) 



15. Oligodon subgriseus. 



Oligodon subgriseus, Hum. ^ Bibr. \-ii. p. 59 (1854) ; Giint.h. Cat. 



p. 21 (1858) ; Jan, Arch. Xool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1862, p. 39 ; 



Giinth. Rept. Brit. Ind. p. 207, pi. xix. fig. F (1864; ; Jan, Icon. 



Oen. 48, pi. i. fig. 3 (1876) ; Blanf. Journ. As. Soc. Beng. xliii. 



1879, p. 114; Boulmg. Faun. Ind., Rept. p. 321 (1890; ; W. L. 



Sclater, Journ. As. Soc. Betig. Ix. 1891, p. 237. 

 Simotes binotatus, Bum. ^ Bihr. t. c. p. 630; Jan, II. cc. Icon. 11, 



pl. vi. fig. 3 (1866) ; Gunth. Sept. Brit. Ind. p. 214. 

 Xenodon dubium, Jerdon, Journ. As. Soc. Bern/, xxii. 1853, p. 628 



(1854). 

 Oligodon spilonotus, Giinth. I. c. p. 207, pl. xix. fig. E. 

 fasciatus, Giinth. I. c. p. 208, pl. xix. fig. D. 



Nasal divided ; portion of rostral seen from above as long as, or 

 a little shorter than, its distance from the frontal ; suture between 

 the internasals usually shorter than that between the prfefrontals ; 

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

 the parietals ; loreal about as long as deep ; preeocular single ; two 

 postoculars ; temporals 1 + 2 ; seven upper labials, third and fourth 

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

 anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields one half to two thirds 

 the length of the anterior. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals angulatd 

 laterally, 158-218; anal usually divided; subcaudals 38-56. 

 Brown above, with a series of large rhomboidal dark spots or trans- 

 verse bands, or pairs pf spots, with or without a more or less 

 distinct light vertebral line ; head with dark markings, usually 

 consisting of a crescentic band across the forehead, through the 

 eyes, to the fourth and fifth labials, a band, widening posteriorly, 

 fj'om the parietals or from the frontal to the angle of the mouth, 

 and a large spot, bifid posteriorly, from the frontal to the nape ; 

 the upper surface of the head sometimes almost entirely blackish 



b2 



