1870.] Indian and Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia. 199 



I have lately obtained a beautiful small specimen of this species 

 through Mr. H o m f r a y from Port Blair, Andaman islands, and I 

 think there can be little doubt of its being distinct from B. bubalina, 

 Klein. The size of the head with its short broad snout, and the 

 form of the vertical readily distinguish it from this last. My speci- 

 men is only llf inches, of which the tail is 2^ ; tha scales are 

 perfectly smooth, on neck in 17, near the middle of the body in 

 19 series, the coloration perfectly agrees with that recorded by 

 Blyth. 



In the Asiatic Society's collection, there are four specimens, all 

 rather bleached, the red colour having changed into a dull reddish 

 grey ; they are all from the Andamans (see Mouat's Adventures and 

 Eesearches among the Andaman Islanders, 1863, p. 366). The largest 

 specimen measures 18 inches of which the tail is 3f, scales smooth 

 in 21 rows, ventral 267, subcaudals 126; in another specimen, 17 

 inches long, there are very minute apical grooves perceptible on the 

 middle rows of scales ; it is possible that in the more adult snake, 

 the apical grooves are better developed, though the species does not 

 seem to grow to a very large size. 



With regard to B 1 y t h ' s B. nigromarginata, Theobald 

 already observes (Cat. Eept. Mus. Asiat. Soc, 1868, p. 61) that its 

 identity with B. bubalina is doubtful, and such certainly appears to 

 be the case. The Khasi type specimen seems to be more slender, 

 with a more distinct elongated bead, and with markedly elongated 

 pointed scales without apical grooves. Typical specimens of bubalina 

 must be examined in order to decide the question, for in every other 

 respect both species, no doubt, are very closely allied. 



58. Bipsas multifasciata, Blyth, PI. XI, fig. 6. 



(G unth., 1. cit. p. 313). 



A very fine specimen of this species has been obtained by my 

 collector in the hills about Simla; it measures 39J inches of which 

 the tail is *l\ ; scales smooth in 21 rows, those of the vertebral series 

 conspicuously larger than others, most of which possess a very mi- 

 nute subapical groove ; ventrals 248, anal large, semilunar entire, 

 subcaudals 106. The shields of the head are regular and quite simi- 

 larly distributed as those of D. trigonata ; but the head itself appears 



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