220 
KR. W, T. BLANFORD ON REFTILGg [Feb. U 
when Dr. Giinther colled my attentiou lo the deiilition, Riid sug- 
gested thftt the species might he a Ntjmphophidium. Oi\ com|mring 
it with the type of N. maculatum in the British Museum, I fmirid a 
close Agreement in nil essciitiftl characters ; but some differences in 
the form of the it e«d shields and in the dentition show, I think, that 
the species are distinct. 
The pupil in the snake now described is distinctly vertical ; and 
thin character is shown in Jan's figure of Odontomus subannnlatua^ 
althougli it is not mentioned in Dumdril and Bibron*a rather rneagre 
description. ^ From Giintlier's description of Nympkophidium, it 
might be inferred that the [»upii is round, as it is in Odontomus 
as restricted by GUuther ; for the two genera are said to agree in every 
respect except dentition. On examining the typo of jV, maculatum 
in the British Museum, howeirer, I find that the pupils arc ill- 
prescrved, and their form is not distinguishable * but in a second 
specimen, procured from Dr. Bleeker for the same collection, the 
pupil on one side is slightly elliptical. This very peculiar tcature 
of a vertical pupil has consequently to be added to the generic cba- 
metcrs. 1 find in the present specimen of N. nitfmiirtulrttum two 
peculiar small conical white tooth -like projections from the base of 
the skull, as in N. jnacuiatum. They are easily seen at tl>e back of. 
the palate when the month is opened freely. 
I add a description of the present snake, Dumcril and Bibron*s 
acrcount being (as already noticed) imperfecti 
Jie^cript ion. ~Boi\y and tail slender, compressed. Head much 
broader than neck, flat, depressed. Pupil elliptical, vertical. Scales 
of body but little longer than broad, smooth, iu 15 rows. Ventrals 
230, strongly angulate at the sides ; anal undivided ; snbcandals in 
97 pairs. Maxillary teeth small and numerous, increasing slightly 
in size behind ; the last is much larger and compressed, and projects 
horizontally backwards. 
J/eud-sfiieldfi. — Rostral broader than high, scarcely extending to 
the upper surface of the head. Anterior frontala as long as the 
posterior, rounded in front, scarcely broader than long* Posterior 
frontals much broader than long. Vertical elongate, the lateral 
marguis converging and slightly concave, posterior angle acute i the 
length of tlie shield is but little less than that of nn occijiital ; and 
the postfrontala and vertical together considerably exceed the occt- 
pitals in length. Nostril near the middle of a single rectangular 
shield, sncceedfd behind by anolhcr elongate rectangular shield (the 
loreal, or ioreal and lower prBeocnlar united), which extends to the 
eye. A small precocular above the loreal, one postocular*. Tem- 
porals 2+2. ynpralabials 7t tlie third and fourth enter the orbit. 
Colour (in spirit). The anterior portion of the back dark brown, 
with subdiatant pale cross imiids, which becotne closer together 
' In lliifl olmra^ler llie Bpcctmon app€nra to flilTer from the typo, which ie 
flguppd wiLli two ptatotMilfirB. J3ut on one side oftho present oxivniplo thcri' is 
fi wull-iniirkpcl t?roove. if nut nn impprtcct Buturo, seimrat ing the lower pcwfcrior 
portion oft lie ftiniernimry pliirltl ; and the poslocmar procificly eomspinids do 
tlie inrori4»r poutorbilal of the figure. 
