NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 508 



OPEIDIA. 



Aglyphodontes. 



Herpetodryas Boie. 



Herpetodryas chloris nob. 



Spec. char. Internasals very much smaller than prefrontals, rostral plate 

 pentagonal, the other plates upon the head presenting nothing remarkable ; 

 eight superior labials, the eye resting on the fourth and fifth ; anterior geneials 

 much longer and broader than the posterior ; fifteen rows of smooth scales 

 upon the middle of the body ; tail rather long ; a double row of bifid prasanal 

 scutes ; 161 ab. scut, 86 subcaud. Color uniform green above, white below. 



Dimensions Length of head 8 lines; greatest breadth 4 lines; length of 

 body 1 foot 7 inches ; of tail 8 inches 5 lines. 



Habitat. Hong Kong Island. Caught May, 1854, by Mr. Brooke. 



Leptophis Bell. 

 Leptophis triprenatds nob. 



Spec. char. Body very long and somewhat slender ; seventeen rows near 

 the middle, the three median ones carinated; color olive above, baired with 

 black posteriorly ; under parts yellow, black spotted upon throat ; posterior 

 rnaro-in of scale at posterior part of body margined with black ; ab. scut. 187, 

 subcaud. 110. Total length 5 feet. (Fr.) 



Description. The plates upon the upper part of the head present nothing 

 remarkable ; the nostril is deeply excavated between the plates ; there are' three 

 frenals, the one immediately behind the post-nasal five-sided, nearly quadran- 

 gular in shape, the two behind it smaller and resembling it ; there are two post- 

 oculars, and eight superior labials, the eye resting on the fourth and fifth ; the 

 scales upon the sides of the body are smooth and quadrangular, those upon the 

 middle of the back carinated. Coloration : The general tinge above is olive, 

 the posterior part of the body being barred irregularly with black ; tail olive 

 colored above, barred transversely at its root with black, and maculated with 

 black toward its posterior extremities ; posterior border of the labial plates 

 margined with black ; middle portion of abdomen maculated with black ; pos- 

 terior part distinctly margined to a greater or less extent with black posterior- 

 ly ; under part of tail yellow ; the posterior margin of scutes black. 



Dimensions. Length of head lj inches; greatest breadth 11 lines; length of 

 body 3 feet 7f inches ; of tail 1 foot 2 J inches. 



Habitat. Hong Kong, China. Caught on the island of that name, April, 

 1854, by Lieut. Brooke. 



Amphiesma D. & B. 



Amphiesma stolatum. One specimen caught on a hill at Whampoa, China, 

 July, 1851. 



Amphiesma flavipunctatum nob. 



Char. Head small, eyes somewhat prominent, internasals small and trian- 

 gular, prefrontals of moderate size, pentagonal; three or four post-oculars; 

 eight supralabials, the eye resting on the third and fourth : a small plate 

 iutercalated between the second and third ; seventeen rows of lanceolate scales, 

 near the middle of the body, the two inferior rows smooth. Color dusky yellow, 

 with numerous yellow spots along the margin of the scales, a black undulating 

 band running transversely behind the occiput, and two oblique ones upon the 

 side of the head, the one commencing at the inferior margin of the eye, passing 

 over the inferior post-ocular, and extending between the fifth and sixth supra 

 labial to the inferior margin of the jaw; another commencing behind the post- 

 orbitar, and extending obliquely across the temples, and terminating at the 



1*60.] 



