100 



ON A N£W SPECIES OF HOPLOCEPHALUS. 



limb is equal in length to the trunk. The tail 3^ times as lon^. 

 The eye is central ; the nostril rather nearer to the tip of the 

 snout than to the eye. The snout is f, the interorbit, J of the 

 length of the head. Postmental pair of shields much smaller 

 than the mental. Ear edged anteriorly with smooth irregular 

 scales ; the keels of the dorsal scales in fourteen rows inclusive 

 of the dorsolateral keel, the first row below that keel is also 

 longitudinal. Preanal pores, two on each side. 



Reddish-brown to coffee or chestnut-brown with five streaks, 

 one spinal, two dorsolateral and two lateral, and with five broad 

 angular crossbars more or less confluent over the spine ; a sixth 

 spot-like bar aci-oss the nape, the fore part of the dorso-lateral 

 is pale-buff to bright-yellow. The lower part of the cheek 

 blackish, the basal half of the tail dark ringed. 



Length, 7| inches. Locality, Cape York; collected by Mr. 

 K. Broadbent. 



ON A NEW SPECIES OE HOPLOCEPHALUS. 



BY 



C. W. DE VIS, M.A. 

 (Plate XV.) 



HOPLOCEPHALUS ORNATUS. 



Scale rows, 17; abdominal plates, 132; caudal plates, 25. 

 Head oval, rather large and depressed, distinct from the neck. 

 Vertical shield an elongated hexagon : occipitals large, scarcely 

 diverging posteriorly : prefrontals triangular, with the outer 

 sides rounded ; nasal ])late very long : postfrontals elongate 

 transversely and turned down to meet the loreal part of the 

 nasal ; labials f , the 4th and 5th upper equally under the orbit. 

 One anterior and two posterior oculars. Temporals f , the upper 

 anterior one touching the lower postocular and the 5th labial. 



Colour, yellow ; upper surface of head brown with a yellow 

 spot between the occipitals ; labials with the sutures broadly 

 edged with brown ; on the upper half of the trunk about 50 

 distinct crossbands rather narrower than their interspaces and 

 with ii'regular edges ; below the crossbands alternating angular 

 blotches. Beneath bright-yellow, immaculate. 



Locality, near Surat. Collected by Mr. F, A. Blackman. 



