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Show 1881.] AND FROGS FROM SINGAPORE. 219 Rostral well developed ; prsefrontals more than half as large as postfrontals, the suture between the former but little shorter than that between the latter. Vertical large, pentagonal, the anterior margin convex, lateral edges converging slightly behind, posterior margins meeting at a right angle. Each occipital is both longer and broader than the vertical, and is rounded behind. Loreal well developed, about as high as broad. Two (or three) prseoculars, the upper double the size of the lower; two postoculars; temporals 2 + 3, the upper anterior temporal shield in contact with both postoculars ; two elongate temporals along the outer side of each occipital. Upper labials 8, the seventh excluded from the margin of the lip, the fourth and fifth (or on one side the fifth only) entering the orbit. Two pairs of chin-shields, the posterior but little shorter than the anterior. Ventral shields 175; anal undivided; subcaudals in 50 pairs, with a long terminal scale. Back grey, with eleven dark-brown cross bands or large transverse spots on the body, and four on the tail, all having very irregular zigzag margins, and being, where widest, about half the breadth of the interspaces; the latter are slightly spotted and mottled with brown. On the head there is a broad dark cross band between the anterior parts of the eye-orbits on the front part of the vertical and on both pairs of frontals, and continued below the eye on the fifth and sixth supralabials. Behind this is a pointed elongated arrowhead-shaped dark mark, joining the anterior band on the vertical shield, and bifurcating behind on the neck; there is also an oblique band just behind the angle of the mouth. Belly whitish, with small quadrangular dark spots on the sides of every second or third ventral. A single specimen is sent; it is only 8 inches long, the tail measuring 1|. This is another species of the peculiar group of Simotes comprising S. cochinchinensis, S. brevicauda l, S. catenifer, and S. an-coralis 2. It is distinguished from all by having the seventh supra-labial shield shut out of the lip-margin, and from all but the first by having twenty-one rows of scales. The coloration, too, differs somewhat from that of <8. cochinchinensis, in which the lower parts are white. NYMPHOPHIDIUM SUBANNULATUM. Odontomus subannulalus, Dum. et Bibr. Erp. Gen. vii. p. 454 ; Jan & Sordelli, Icon. Oph. 36e livr. pi. v. fig. 3. I had already identified the single specimen in the collection with the snake described by Dumeril and Bibron, and figured by Jan3, 1 Steindachner, Novara Rept. p. 61, pi. iii. figs. 13-14. 2 Jan, Icon. Gen. Oph. lle livr. pi. 6. fig. 2: see Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. 1873, xiii. p. 122. 8 The specimen described by the first-named writers, the only one they had seen, was from the Leyden Museum; and as Jan's figure was taken from a snake belonging to the same collection, it is probable that the same individual was examined by both authors. The dimensions agree. |