Extract from a previously unpublished original water-colour painting from Brian H. Hodgson’s collection of drawings kept in the Zoological Library of the Natural History Museum, London, U.K. The depicted specimen from the „Central hilly region “of Nepal, determined by Günther (1861) as “? Coryphodon fasciolatus” (= Platyceps plinii comb. nov.), is the original and sole source for the distribution of the Banded Racer in Nepal. In fact, the specimen shown is an adult Rhabdophis himalayanus (Günther, 1864) (see chapter “Unconfirmed or erroneous distribution”). The inscription in Devanagari script on the lower right side of the sheet states that this specimen was preserved in alcohol on 27 September 1857. Reproduced with permission from the Natural History Museum, London, U.K.

 
 
  Part of: Deepak V, Narayanan S, Mohapatra PP, Dutta SK, Melvinselvan G, Khan A, Mahlow K, Tillack F (2021) Revealing two centuries of confusion: new insights on nomenclature and systematic position of Argyrogena fasciolata (Shaw, 1802) (auctt.), with description of a new species from India (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae). Vertebrate Zoology 71: 253-316. https://doi.org/10.3897/vz.71.e64345