ZAMENIS. 377 



shields. Prse-oculars 2. Loreals 2-3. Scales smootli, feebly keeled, and 

 in 15-17 rows. Ventrals not keeled. Anal bifid. 



Ptyas mucOsus, L. ,- Gunther, Rep. Brit. Ind. p. 249 ; Theob- 

 Bep. Br. Ind. p. 168. Coryphodon blumenbachi, Merr. Tent. p. 119; 

 Gunther, Golubrine Snakes, Br. Mus. p. 111.— The Indian Rat-Snake. 



Head broad, distinct from neck. Rostral deeply indented beneath, 

 as broad as high. Nostrils between two shields, their upper edges in 

 contact with the pree-frontal and rostral. Prse-frontal not quite half 

 the size of the post-frontal. Post-frontal bent down on the side touch- 

 ing the loreals and hinder nasal shield. Vertical longer than broad, 

 three-sided posteriorly, nearly straight behind the post-frontal, with its 

 lateral margins concave ; it is longer than its greatest breadth. Oc- 

 cipitals truncated behind, with two elongated temporals on each side 

 of their outer margin, the anterior in contact with the post-oculars. 

 Upper labials 8, the fourth and fifth entering the orbit. Loreals 

 3, prse-oculars 2, the upper large, and extending on to the upper surface 

 of the head between the superciliary and post-frontal, but not touching 

 the vertical. One large projecting superciliary. Scales in 1 7 rows 

 (19 on the neck), the vertebral series keeled, larger than those on the 

 sides, and with two apical grooves. Ventrals large, 196-208. Anal 

 bifid. Sub-caudals 118-130. 



Colour olive, the scales with darker margins, those on the hinder part 

 of the body and of tail with broad dark edges giving a reticulated 

 appearance. Grows to 7 feet. 



A specimen from Jerruck, 56 inches long, has the scales on the 

 hinder portion of the body and tail, a reddish brown colour, and the 

 hinder margins of the labials, ventrals and sub-caudals similarly 

 coloured, darker on the tail, above. 



Eab. — Sind, Indian Peninsula, Ceylon and the Malay Archipelago. 



Zamenis, Wagler. 



Body and tail elongate, rounded, sometimes very slender. Head 

 distinct from neck ; crown flat ; muzzle rounded. Eye of moderate size, 

 with round pupil. Nostril lateral,[between two plates. The shields of the 

 head have a tendency to spht in two or more pieces. Loreal entire or 

 divided : generally 2 anterior and 2 posterior oculars. Eye sometimes 

 surrounded by separate pieces of the upper labials. Scales smooth 

 or slightly keeled (posterior maxillary tooth longest, not grooved). 

 Ventrals rounded or with a very indistinct lateral keel. Anal bifid. 

 Sub-caudals two-rowed. 



Zamenis diadema, Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 148; Russell, ii. 

 p. 34, pi. 30; Gunth. Rep. Brit. Ind. p. 252, pi. 

 xxi. fig. G; Theob. Gat. Rep. Brit. Ind. Periops 

 parallelus, Jan. et Sor. : Murray, Zool., ^r., 

 Sind, p. 260. 



Allied to Z. cliffordi. Head rather elon- 

 zamenis diadema. ^^^.^^ broader behind. Rostral as high as 



broad. Prs-frontals rather larger than post-frontals, which are separ- 

 ated from the vertical by a transverse series of four small shields ; 

 48 z 



