FORMOSAN SNAKES. 



2CH 



29. Psammodynastes compressus n. sp. 



Body laterally compressed, tail prehensil. Rostral higher than 

 borad, not visible from above ; internasal small, only one third the 

 size of prefrontal, abruptly truncated anteriorly, with convex outer 

 border ; prefrontals very large, broadly in contact with supraocular, 

 loreal and preocular, their posterior outer border in contact with eye ; 

 frontal nearly pentagonal, its posterior outer margin sharply angulated ; 

 supraocular moderate ; parietals large, suture between them longer 

 than frontal ; nostril a round hole in the middle of a single nasal ; 

 canthus rostralis overhanging the concave loreal region ; loreal nearly 

 quadrangular, with convex posterior margin ; a single concave preocular ; 

 two postoculars ; lower parts of pre-and post-oculars in contact with 

 each other, separating the eye from supralabials ; temporals 2 + 3 ; 8 

 supralabials on the right, 7 on the left ; 5 lower labials, 3 in contact 

 with the first pair of chin-shields, of which there are three pairs, the 

 first pair being triangular and the following two laterally elongated ; 

 scale smooth, without pits, in 15 rows; ventrals 182; anal single; 

 subcaudals 75. Colour (in alcohol) vinaceous cinnamon, paler inferiori}', 

 with ill-defined brown cross-bars ; each scale having numerous fine 

 dots of the same colour ; top of head of the ground colour, spotted 

 with dark brown small patterns ; lip and underside paler ; narrow 

 dark brown stripe from eye backward across the temporal region 

 ending on nape ; ventrals spotted with brown. 



Type. — Bureau of Sei. Res., specimen Xo. 61 ; from Kokwangai, 



Dimensions. 



Total length 

 Length of tail 



608 m.m 



135 m.m. 



Taihoku. 



Family Elapidae. 



bubfamily Elapinae. 



