10 



ON A NEW SNAKE OF THE GENUS OLIGODON. 



Three years later the British Museum received another specimen 

 found at the same place by the same collector and which per- 

 tains to the same aberrant group, although unquestionably of a 

 distinct species. 1 had put aside the specimen in the hope of 

 obtaining others ; but as the hope must now be given up, I 

 propose to give a description of this handsome and very remark- 

 able Snake. 



Nasal undivided ; portion of rostral seen from above a little 

 longer than its distance from the frontal, penetrating rather far 

 between the prefrontals ; no internasals ; frontal longer than its 

 distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals ; 

 loreal small, longer than deep ; one prae- and one postocular ; 

 temporals 1 + 1; live upper labials, second and third entering 

 the eye; three or four lower labials in contact with the anterior 

 chin-shields, which are longer than the posterior. Scales in 

 15 rows. Vent'-als 160; anal divided; subcaudals 32. A broad 

 yellow vertebral band, from the nape to the end of the tail, 

 between a pair of reddish brown, black-edged dorsal bands of 

 about the same width ; sides bluish grey, with two narrower dark 

 brown bands, the lower interrupted; head yellow with dark 

 brown markings : a spot capping the tip of the snout, a cres- 

 centic band from lip to lip through the eyes and across the 

 snout, an elongate spot on the frontal and on the suture between 

 the parietals, connected with a large occipital bifid spot which is 

 continued as bands along the body, and an oblique band from the 

 parietal to the commissure of the mouth and below. Belly red, 

 with black bars occupying a whole shield or interrupted and 

 alternating ; lower surface of tail uniform red. 



Total length 540.millim. ; tail 70. 



A single male specimen. 



Although not longer than 0. herberti, this is a much heavier 

 Snake, which must be regarded for the present as the largest and 

 handsomest of all the Oligodons. 



