376 



OLIGODONTID^. 



Crown of the head, back and posterior part of body uniform 

 olive. A broad black band begins behind the eye, becomes gradually 

 narrower and disappears in the second fifth of the total length; a 

 second streak or zigzag line from the throat, along the outer edges of 

 the ventrals, a third intermediate between the band and zigzag line, 

 disappearing with the first. 



A single specimen from Upper Sind in a very bad state of preser- 

 vation, and badly injured. 



Hab. — Sind, Afghanistan and Fao (Mesopotamia) ; also the Khasia 

 hills? (Theob). Probably occurs in Persia. 



Cynophis, Qray. 



Form somewhat slender and compressed. Head narrow. Tail one- 

 fifth of total length. Bye of moderate size. Pupil round. Nostril lateral, 

 between two plates. One prse-ocular. Scales slightly keeled or with a 

 pair of apical grooves, in 25-27 rows. Anal entire. Teeth numerous ill 

 the jaws and palate. 



CynopMs helena, Baud. Bep. vi. p. 277; Gunth. Rep. Brit. Ind. 

 p. 247 ; id. Coluh. Snakes, p. 95 ; Theob. Rep. Br. Ind. p. 167. Cynophis 

 bistrigatus. Gray, Ann,, and Mag. Nat. Hist. 1849, iv. p. 246. 



Head narrow, flat, rather distinct from neck. Snout long, obtusely 

 rounded. Rostral rather broader than high. Anterior frontals small, 

 ^ or :J the size of the posterior frontals. Post-frontals large, rather longer 

 than broad. Vertical nearly twice as long as broad, triangular behind, 

 with the lateral margins convergent. Occipitals elongate, obliquely 

 truncated behind. Loreal longer than high. One prse-ocular, generally 

 in contact with the vertical. Two post-oculars. Nine upper labials, 

 the fifth and sixth and sometimes the hinder margin of the fourth 

 entering the orbit; the fourth sometimes divided. Anterior chin 

 shield in contact with 5 or 6 lower labials. Scales on the back slightly 

 keeled, in 27 rows. Ventrals 220-238. Anal entire. Sub-caudals 

 85-94. Each maxillary armed with twelve teeth, the middle rather 

 longer than the others. 



Colour reddish olive, with numerous more or less distinct, reticulat- 

 ed, black, transverse bands across the anterior part of the back, each 

 of which encloses two white ocelli on either side of the body, one above 

 the other; posteriorly these are replaced by a broad lateral brown band 

 running to the tip of the tail. Neck with a pair of parallel longitu- 

 dinal black bands above, and with an oblique black band on the side. 

 A black line along the occipital suture ; another oblique one from the 

 eye, along the edge of the seventh labial ; lower parts white. Grows to 

 42 inches. Tail about a fifth. 



Hah. — Sind (Kurrachee) Rajputana, Kutoh, Southern and Central 

 India, and the Ueocan (Poena). 



Gen. Ptyas, Fih. 



Body elongate, rather compressed. Tail one-third or more the total 

 length. Head distinct from neck. Bye large. Nostril between two 



