95 



T'! mortoni, Theobald. 



Scales 19, strongly keeled. Dark brown, with dark 

 vertebral stripe and interrupted cross-bars of yellow or 

 white spots. 



A solitary museum specimen, source unknown. 



T. STRIOLATTJS, Blyth. 



Scales 19. Labials 8 (3 and 4), postoculars 3 or 4 Colour 

 pale olive brown, a dark patch below the eye, a dark leaden 

 stripe extending from behind the eye all down the side, 

 "with a second narrower one, below it, through the second 

 row of scales. Belly white, no spots. 



A solitary specimen from the Andamans. 



T. natrix is the common harmless snake of England. 



ATRETIUM, Cope. 



A Tropidonotus distinguished by having the anterior 

 frontals united into one broad triangular shield (in contact 

 with the rostral). Other head-shields regular. Scales 19, 

 short, rhombic, keeled. Ventrals broad, anal bifid. Teeth 

 numerous, increasing. 

 A. SCHISTOSUM, Davd. Plate XIV, fig. 3. 



Ventrals 146-150, subc. 67-82. Dark slate-colour with 

 interstitial crimson dorsal stripe ; lips, outer 1^ row of scales 

 and belly yellow, throat yellow, thin long black post-orbital 

 stripe. 



Grows to 2 feet, tail one-fourth. South of India, Ceylon. 



Giinther states, on the authority of Cope, that this is a 

 fierce snake dilating its neck laterally when about to attack. 

 My experience is far from confirming this. I have kept 

 several specimens which were very gentle; they were 

 sociable and fond of climbing on the necks of two young 

 cobras who were at constant enmity and addicted to standing 

 facing one another in a menacing manner. 



XENOCHROPHIS, Giinther. 

 A Tropidonotus with the middle teeth longest, and with 



