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Show J8/1.] DR. J. ANDERSON ON INDIAN REPTILES. 183 region, to the eye and above the angle of the mouth, and is prolonged along the side to the end of the tail, covering the angle of the ventral and one half of the first row of scales ; the black line defining it below can be indistinctly traced even as far forwards as the lower labials. All these longitudinal yellow lines are strongly margined with black on each of the sides, and they are equally prominent with the brown bands of the ground-colour. I have received three specimens from Simla on the Himalaya ; and a specimen in this museum is from Lower Bengal. DENDROPHIS PICTA, Gmelin; Gthr. I.e. p. 297. Darjeeling and Garo Hills. PSAMMODYNASTES PULVERULENTUS, Boie ; Gthr. I. c. p. 292. The general appearance of this Snake is strongly viperine, so much so that, in roughly separating a large collection of Snakes from Darjeeling, I found when I came to examine the species critically that I had unwittingly placed the largest specimen of seven along with a fine series of T. monticola. It is the subject of considerable variation in the head-plates, as is evinced by the following table :- Dark 2 - Total length. 20" 22 18 19 8 19 17 3"' 2 6 6 9 0 10 Tail. 3" 3 3 3 1 3 3 3'" 6 0 0 0 10 7 Postoculars. R. L. 3 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 Light cS • 3 2 2 2 Loreals. R, L. 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 Ventrals. 175 171 175 175 171 166 169 Caudals. 55 60 58 53 54 65 62 The posterior frontals are bent down on the side of the head ; and when a second loreal exists it is due to the separation as a distinct shield of that portion of the posterior frontal. The three postoculars result from a portion of the fifth labial being separated as such. There are sometimes only seven upper labials, due to union of tbe third and fourth, the true character of the compound shield being sometimes shown by a trace of an imperfect suture*. There are two well-marked types of coloration, one being almost wholly black and the other light reddish brown. All the black specimens I have examined are females, and the light-coloured ones * I have a specimen of this Snake from the Khasi Hills with the anterior and posterior frontals confluent, but in every other respect normal. It is a pale-coloured specimen (male ?). |
