■14 
KEPTILIA. 
Green above, with a single series of small white spots, rather 
distant from each other, extending on each side of the vertehrfe 
along their whole length. Abdominal scuta yellowish. Temporal 
streak double, the upper part being white and the lower part rufous ; 
end of tail light rufous yellow, curled* 
Length of the largest specimen we have obtained : — 
from muzide to vent, 14 inches ' 
of tail beyond, inches 
Width at gape, fully 7 lines. 
The.se snakes are not unfreqnent in Labiian, and may some- 
times be seen basking on roots of trees in the suii, and enjoy- 
ing the warmth. When struck or wounded they bite most 
savagely at the stick, or whatever may be used in attacking 
them. 
Trimesunis subarniulatuB (Gr.) (var. ?). 
Green above, with thirty-six cross-bands from head to vent, which 
are continued on the tail, but become indistinct towards the tip ; 
the anterior part of these bands is white, and the hinder part dark 
green ; they extend across each side from the vertebrae, where they 
nearly meet, almost to the abdominal plates ; the temporal streak 
reaches from the nostrils to the hinder angle of the head, and is 
white above, and dark green below. Colour below — yellowish 
white, the scuta posteriorly margined with dark green ; most of the 
scuta are also marked on their hinder edges with irregular spots of 
dark green, but lighter in the centre than towards the edges. 
Length from muzzle to vent, 1 foot 11| inches'! r i. a i 
„ of tail beyoncf, 5 inches f ® 
Width of head at gape, inch. 
We have marked this species as a variety of the Trlme- 
surus subannulatus of Mr. Gray, as in our specimens the dark 
edging of the ring.s which he describes in that species as being 
situated in front of the white is behind that colour. These 
are, however, probably mere varieties in colour, and, indeed, 
ill one specimen which we possess, the relative position to one 
another of the white and dark colour of the rings is not quite 
constant. 
It is a common species in Labuan, and the Malays liold 
them in great dread — so much so, that twenty or thirty of them 
were completely put to flight by the appearance of the speci- 
rnenTrom which the above description was taken, and %vhicb 
16| inches. 
Length 
