LYCODON. 383 



regular. Scales smooth, more or less narrow on the sides. The verte- 

 bral series dilated. Anal entire. Sub-caudals two-rowed. Posterior 

 maxillary tooth longest, grooved. 



Dipsas trigonata, Boie,Isis, 1827, p. 559; ScMeg. Phys. Serp. ii. 

 p. 267. pi. ii. figs. 6 and 7 ; Gunth. Rep. Br. Ind.-p. 312. Dispadomor- 

 phus trigonatus, Fitz. Syst. Sep. p. 27; Gunth. Colub. Snakes, p. 175 ; 

 Theoh. Cat. Bep. p. 196 ; Murray, Hdbk., Zool, ^c, Sind, p. 210. 



Rostral grooved on the under side, obtusely triangular, reaching 

 slightly above the suture of the nasal and prse-frontals. Prae-frontala 

 sub-triangular; post-frontals sub-quadrangular; vertical three-sided be- 

 hind, pentagonal. Occipitals a little longer than its greatest width, with 

 usually two temporals alongside of their outer margins. Scales smooth, 

 in 21 rows (exceptionally in 19), the vertebral series larger. Ventrals 

 235-269; sub-caudals 79-87 ; anal entire. Nostril rather small, rounded. 

 Loreal one, as high as long. One prse-ocular. Two post-oculars. Eight 

 upper labials, the third, fourth and fifth entering the orbit, sometimes 

 the fourth and fifth only. Maxillary with 10 small teeth, and a pair of 

 grooved posterior teeth ; two pair of chin shields behind the first and 

 second lower labials, the anterior longest, and 4 labials in contact with 

 it. 



Colour yellowish olive with a rather irregular white or yellow zigzag 

 band along the back, edged with black. Crown of the head with two 

 dark bands, edged with black, convergent behind, and a nearly quadran- 

 gular dark spot behind, edged with white. Belly white, with an irre- 

 gular series of brown dots along each side. 



Hob. — Sind (Kurrachee, Kotree and Sehwan), Rajputana, Central 

 India, Kutch, Guzerat and Southern India, extending to Bengal and to 

 the foot of the Himalayas. Attains 34-36 inches. 



Family, LTCODONTID^. 



Lycodontes. 

 Body generally of moderate length, rather slender, rounded of 

 slightly compressed. Head depressed ; snout flat, obtuse. Bye rathcF 

 small. Pupil generally vertical. Head shields regular. Nostril between 

 two shields. Posterior frontals enlarged. Maxillary with a fang in 

 front, but without a posterior grooved tooth. Of five genera in thia 

 family, one only [Lycodon) is represented in Sind. 



liycodon, Boie. 



Head depressed, distinct from neck ; snout flat, obtuse ; nostrils 

 between two shields. Loreal present. One pree and two post-oculars. 

 Scales smooth, in 17 rows. Sub-caudals two-rowed. Anal entire or bifid. 

 Pupil elliptical. Maxillary with one of the anterior teeth enlarged ; 

 posterior maxillary tooth enlarged, not grooved ; palatine teeth not 

 enlarged. 



Lycodon aulicus, lAnn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 381 ; Boie. Ms, 1826, p. 

 981 ; Gunth. Bep. Brit. Ind. p. 316; D. et B. p. 369 ; Gunth. Colub. 

 Snakes, 200; Murray, Hdbk, Zool., Sfc, Sind, p. 261, 



