FASCICULI MALAYENSES 
170 
Flower.^ Moreover, they assert that all red-tailed snakes are very 
poisonous, believing that the “ sunbeam snakes ” flourish their tails in the 
air as an advertisement of the fact. It is probable that the observation 
that they flourish their tails is a true one, but it is very doubtful whether 
the species of Doliophis can be reckoned, practically, as dangerous forms, in 
spite of the enormous size of the poison glands in D. bivirgatus. Cylin- 
drophis rufus is a most inoffensive and feeble snake, and many specimens are 
devoid of the red mark on the tail ; indeed, it is probable that the 
whole theory of warning coloration, as far as the Patani Malays are con- 
cerned, rests on the fact that the readiest way of distinguishing between 
the venomous Lachesis gramineus and the harmless Dryophis prasinus^ when the 
shape of the head cannot be seen, is the reddish tail of the former species.’ 
AMBLYCEPHALIDAE 
83. Haplopeltura boa, Boie. 
Bukit Besar, 2,000 feet. 
‘ A Specimen was taken lying almost straight along the midrib of the leaf 
of a small palm in the jungle. The whole coloration and attitude suggested 
a stick that had fallen from above, and the blunt snout and buff markings on 
the head appeared to represent that part of the stick which had been broken 
from its parent branch.’ 
84. Amblycephalus moellendorffii, Bttgr. 
Jalor. 
VIPERIDAE 
85. Ancistrodon rhodostoma, Boie. 
Jalor. 
This large and deadly Crotaline snake was only recorded with certainty 
from Java, and with doubt from Siam. I have, however, been recently shown 
a specimen from Puket,^ Siam, received by the Christiania Zoological Museum. 
The distribution is the same as that of the Chelonian Damonia subtrijuga. 
‘ A. rhodostoma cannot be scarce in the neighbourhood of Biserat and K. 
Jalor, as several specimens, of which we did not keep all, were brought us at 
both of these places. The Jalor Malays call it ular kapak daun^ or ‘‘leaf axe- 
I F.Z.S., 1899, pi. xxxvii. 
2. Puket is the chief place in the Siamese island of Junk Ceylon or Selangka, which lies off the west coast of 
the Malay Peninsula, south of the Isthmus of Kra. N. A. 
