1847.] Malayan Peninsula and Islands. 901 



given by M. M. Dumeril and Bibron in the following particulars. The 

 head is uniformly black, without the two scarlet frontal spots ; the 

 apex of the tail whitish ; the posterior part of the body is more robust 

 than the anterior ; the length of the head forms more than -J-g- of the 

 entire length of the animal ; there are six pairs of labial shields on 

 each jaw, and the scales of the trunk are disposed in 20 longitudinal 

 series. It unites characters assigned by M. M. Dumeril and Bibron 

 as distinguishing Cylindrophis rufus from C. melanotus, Wagler, and 

 it would therefore appear that Dr. Schlegel is justified in considering 

 the latter from Celebes (Tortrix melanota, Boie, MS.) as a variety of 

 riff a. In the present individual there is no external appearance of the 

 very rudimentary anal hooks. It was slow in its movements, attempted 

 to escape, but not to bite. 



Length of the head, feet Of inch. 



Ditto ditto trunk, 1 6f 



Ditto ditto tail, Of- 



1 ft. 7\ inch. 



Gen. Xenopeltis, Reinwardt. 



Head rather narrower than the trunk, depressed, obsoletely angular ; 

 eyes small, round ; nostrils large, apical ; frenal shield very large ; 

 prse-orbital none ;* post-orbitals three ;f interparietal very large, 

 equalling the vertical ; trunk thick, short with imbricate smooth hex- 

 agonal scales, disposed in longitudinal series, increasing in size towards 

 the narrow abdominal scuta ; tail thick, short, awl-shaped, beneath 

 with scutella. 



Xenopeltis unicolor, Reinwardt. 



Syn. — Xenopeltis concolor, Reinwardt. 



Xenopeltis leucocephala, Reinwardt (young.) 

 Guerin : Iconog. PI. 21, Fig. 3. 

 Tortrix xenopeltis, Schlegel. 



Adult. — Blackish or reddish brown above with strong metallic blue 

 purple, and green lustre ; lips and throat buff ; the lowest lateral series 



* The single prae-orbital is very large, the frenal small, sub-rectangular ; the nostrils 

 open between the latter and the nasal shield. 



t Three individuals examined, presented two post-orbitals. 



G a 2 



