1847.] Malayan Peninsula and Islands . 933 



Habit. — Pinang, Singapore. 



The head large, less depressed than in the preceding species, the 

 muzzle broad, blunt ; cheeks tumid ; all the shields of the crown are 

 short and broad, except the vertical which is laterally arched, and very 

 narrow behind. There is a single elongated post-occipital, and the rest 

 of the hind head is covered with broad hexagonal shields. Each temple 

 is covered by two pairs of large shields, in front of which a pair of very 

 minute ones, bordering upon the equally small post-orbitals. The eye 

 is large, prominent ; the pra -orbital and the linear frenal proportionally 

 small ; the nostrils large, opening in the middle of the nasal ; the 

 rostral broad, slightly arched beneath. The labials, 9 on each side of 

 both jaws, resemble those of the preceding species. The mouth is 

 large ; the maxillary teeth strong, distant. In the lower jaw the 

 anterior ones gradually increase in length till the fourth, which appears 

 like a canine, the rest as well as the palatal teeth are all smaller, of 

 uniform length. The chin is covered by the second pair of labials and 

 two pairs of mentals, of which the posterior pair is elongated. The 

 trunk is strong, less compressed than in the preceding species, with 

 13 series of smooth imbricate scales, of which the two lowest series 

 are large rhombic with rounded points, the next four elongated rhom- 

 boidal (linear), and the odd central dorsal rhomboidal, not larger than 

 the rest. The tail is covered with broad hexagonal, not imbricate, 

 scales. The abdomen is narrow, flattened ; the centre part of the scuta 

 with strongly arched margins ; the sides turned upwards and forming 

 a continued sharp lateral ridge. The tail is slender, tapering ; its ver- 

 tical section nearly square. 



Of this species but two individuals were observed : a young one at 

 Singapore, an adult on the Great Hill of Pinang. The latter measured : 



Length of the head, ft. 1 J- incl 



Ditto ditto trunk, 3 5-f 



Ditto ditto tail, 1 2 



4 ft. 9 inch. 



Circumference of the neck, 2, of the trunk 3-f, of the root of the 

 tail, 1^ inch. 



In its mixed arborial and terrestrial habits and in fierceness it re- 



Ci;2 



