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Show 1903.] SNAKES OF CHINA AND JAFAN. 89 informed me he had captured in the filter-beds near Bowen Road on Hongkong Island. In two specimens the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth supralabials touch the eye on both sides. Ventrals 192-209 \ 30. D inodon r u fo zo n a tu s . China, Hainan, Formosa, Chusan, Corea, Tsu Shima, Japan, Loo Choo Islands.-This is a very common snake about Shanghai, where I encountered it frequently. I picked up several and allowed them to crawl about my arms without their exhibiting the least malice or alarm, and they made little attempt to escape in the first instance. Riding my bicycle one night I saw one crossing the road; I dismounted, flashed my lamp on the snake, and, while holding my machine with my light hand, captured it easily with my left. It made no attempt at escape, though cover was within a yard or two. It was full-grown and not desquamating. My servant caught one in camp one night just outside my h u t; it encircled the man's leg but did not bite. It contained a large toad (Bufo vulgaris). I found a large number preserved in the Siccawei Museum. I found one in Mr. Owston's collection obtained from Japan, and four others procured from Ishigaki Island in the Loo Choo group. I noted the following :- Internasals half or less than half the length of praefrontals. Loreal, in Japanese and Loo Choo specimens, does not touch the eye in all (five); in Chinese does not touch the eye in five, touches eye in eleven. Postoculars three on both sides in one specimen, three on one side in one specimen. Temporals one on one side in one specimen. Labials normal in all. Anterior chin-shields in contact with four lower labials in one specimen on both sides, with six lower labials on one side in two specimens. Ventrals in Japanese and Loo Choo specimens 180-190; in Chinese specimens 192-209. Subcaudals in Japanese and Loo Choo specimens 76-87 ; in Chinese specimens 64-76. Colour: there appear to be two very distinct varieties. All the Chinese conform to the following description :-Alternate bars of jet-black and coral-red (white in old spirit-specimens) dor sally, breaking into a coarse mottling on the flanks. The black bars involve two or three scales in the length of the snake, and the red one scale or slightly more. There are 53-74 black bars on the body and 18-24 on the tail, the first is broadest and forms a chevron on the nape. Head black, fading to whitish on labials ; sutures on crown coral-red. A light temporal streak usually. Belly whitish, with some lateral mottling. The Japanese and Loo Choo specimens agree :-Alternate darkish-brown and dirty whitish (perhaps red when fresh) bars dorsally, breaking up into a mottling laterally. The brown bars involve four or five scales (more quite anteriorly), the light one scale. There are 24-33 brown bars on body, 15-18 on tail. Crown of head brown, fading 1 Gunther records also Ijycodon (Ophites) albofuscus from Formosa (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) vol. i. 1868, p. 426), but gives no description nor authority for recording it. |