NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 493 



the scales upon the top of the head are carinate : eight superior labials ; 

 third and fourth the largest ; seven temporals ; the two anterior, of which the 

 superior is the larger, separated from the orbit by a row of small scales ; the 

 plates over the eyes are of moderate size, single ; the rostral plate is broader 

 than high ; the head is much larger posteriorly than in front, where it 

 is somewhat truncate ; neck much contracted ; body rather slender, 

 presenting near the middle twenty-seven rows of lanceolate carinate 

 scales, the carina? extending the whole length of the scale, and the 

 rows running very obliquely ; besides these carinated scales there are two 

 other inferior rows, running very obliquely, which are smooth, the total num- 

 ber of rows of scales being thirty-one ; the scales upon the tail are much broader 

 than those upon the back ; the ground color of the head above is ochraceous 

 yellow, presenting numerous dark colored lines, probably green during life ; 

 a narrow vitta of the same color extends from behind the eye to the posterior 

 and external angle of the head, a short distance above the commissure of the 

 jaw ; a bar, broader than the rest, is seen on each side of the inner aspect of 

 the occiput, bending inward, and extending for a space of two and a half 

 inches along the side of the neck ; the jaws and throat are yellow (straw 

 colored), as well as the abdomen ; the under part of the tail is also yellow, but 

 presents a number of bluish colored maculae on each side ; the ground color 

 of the body above is dirty yellow, with longitudinal dark colored interrupted 

 liars on each side of the median line, with intervening spaces of yellow ; upon 

 the tail the dark colored portions present the form of double triangles, united 

 at their bases, upon the median line, with a subround yellow spot in the 

 centre, and having upon their sides triangular interspaces of yellow ; eighty-one 

 urostega ; ab. scuta sixty-one. The specimen being much mutilated, it is 

 difficult to ascertain with precision its total length. 



Habitat. Amakarima Island (one of the Loo-Choo group.) 



Protekoglyphes. 

 Platubus fasciatus. 

 One specimen, young, captured at Nara, Loo-choo, June, 1853, by W. Heine. 



Aglyphodontes. 

 Gen. Eueypholis nob. 

 Char. Scales and plates of the head polished, the plates of the head espe- 

 cially ; eyes lateral, projecting; pupil round ; body slender; tail short, with 

 bifid scutella ; nine plates upon the top of the head ; the internasal small ; the 

 prefrontals large, the frontal larger than broad, pentagonal ; nostril between 

 two plates ; a rather narrow frenal ; one preocular ; two postoculars ; eight 

 .supra-labials ; the eye resting on the fourth and fifth ; scales hexagonal, semi- 

 carinate upon the back. 



Eueypholis semicarinatus nob. 



Spec. char. Uniform green above, white beneath ; total length 1 foot 7f 

 inches ; of tail 4 inches 5 lines ; 189 sb. scut. ; 1 bifid prse-anal ; 77 sub. caud. 



Description. This serpent has very much the general appearance of a 

 Leptophis, but the tail is shorter ; the scales upon the back are strictly hexa- 

 gonal, those upon the sides have their posterior margins somewhat rounded ; 

 the three inferior rows on each side are smooth ; of the plates upon the head, 

 the posterior nasal is larger than the anterior ; the frenal longer than high, 

 resting upon the supralabials ; the superior postocular larger than the in- 

 ferior ; three temporal plates ; one in front immediately behind the post- 

 oculars and between the seventh supralabial and the occipitals, the other 

 two, one above and the other behind these, between the occipital and the 

 eighth supralabial plate ; the frontal presents an acute angle posteriorly ; the 

 occipitals, of moderate size, pentangular ; the neck is of nearly the same 



I860.] 34 



