204 Indian and Malayan Amphibia and Reptilia. [No. 2, 



part of the second and the upper anterior edge of the third are in 

 contact with the posterior frontal ; anteocular one, postoculars three 

 on the right, two on the left side, the lowest being united to the 

 fifth labial ; temporals 2 -f pi. ; pupil large, vertical ; mental groove 

 distinct ; 9 lower labials, each nearly corresponding to each upper, 

 the first pair forms a long suture ; three pairs of chin shields, the first 

 is divergent above, the last behind. 



Colour deep blackish brown above with some very minute white 

 specks at the sides of the head and on the body ; uniform ruddy or 

 dark brown below. The fifth and sixth teeth in the upper jaw are 

 much enlarged ; after a short gape they are followed by 1 2 smaller 

 teeth, the next ones behind the fangs are the smallest and they 

 gradually but slightly increase toward the posterior end ; very 

 numerous small teeth on the palate ; the third tooth on each side in 

 the lower jaw is the largest. 



Comparing the form of the head of our specimen with Gr ii n- 

 ther's figure of the type, the vertical is seen to be longer 

 in the former and of a subtriangular shape, but there appears to 

 be an inclination to pentagonal form ; in the other shields there is 

 no essential difference. The snout of our specimen is decidedly 

 much broader, but I attribute this simply to the development of the 

 front fangs of the jaws, for similar, or even greater, variations can be 

 observed in the different stages of age in all the Lycodontid^e ; the 

 preocular is placed a little higher in our specimen than in the 

 type. 



Dr. G ii ii t li e r sa}-s that in the young type specimen there 

 are eleven distant buff coloured rings round the body and tail, but 

 that the posterior become obsolete with age, only the three or four 

 anterior remaining visible. This last observation evidently refers to 

 the only other known specimen of the species, Lye. ophitcoides of 

 B 1 e e k e r, (from Borneo), which Dr. Gr ii n t h e r considers iden- 

 tical with the former. My specimen is 4-i inches longer than B 1 e e- 

 k e r ' s type, and it may, therefore, not unreasonably be supposed 

 that even the anterior rings became obsolete with advanced age ; and 

 that such is actually the case, I have but very little doubt. I only 

 need to recall what I have said of the changes of coloration in old 

 specimens of Lycodon a aliens, the adult of which is thoroughly unlike 



