290 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Apr., 



bone protrudes through the floor of the mouth for a distance of 1 mm. 

 The tip is covered with pad of fibrous tissue and the mucous mem- 

 brane. The opening of the sheath of the tongue is 3 mm. from the 

 lip. A tough band of fibrous tissue, which is furrowed above for the 

 tongue, extends between this opening and the lip. This band is 

 attached anteriorly and posteriorly; beneath it is free and forms a 

 bridge under which an instrument may be passed. Between the 

 g,nterior attachment of this bridge and the tip of each dentary bone, 

 is an opening into a pouch which lies on either side of the median 

 line. Each pouch is covered above by the mucous membrane of 

 the mouth, and extends posteriorly to the level of the opening of the 

 sheath of the tongue. These pouches are in communication with 

 each other beneath the bridge of connective tissue that extends 

 from the opening of the sheath of the tongue to the lip. 



The external landmarks of the principal viscera in terms of gastro- 



steges are as follows: 



Per cent. 



Total number of gastrosteges . 202 100 



Apex of heart . 58 28.7 



Liver, anterior tip 73 36.2 



Liver, posterior end 128 63.5 



Gall-bladder, centre 138 68.5 



Testis, right, anterior tip 150 7-1.4 



Testis, right, posterior end 155 77.1 



Testis, left, anterior tip .' 162 80.2 



Testis, left, posterior end 167 82.8 



Kidney, right, anterior tip . 172 85 



Kidney, right, posterior end 186 92 



Kidney, left, anterior tip 176 87 



Kidney, left, posterior end 190 94 



In this species it will be noted that the scale-row count of 21 

 terminates well forward on the neck, and that the count of 19 per- 

 sists nearly to the vent. 



A uniform scale-row count over the entire body is found in two 

 types of serpents. It occurs in those with cylindrical bodies in which 

 there is no reduction of the diameter posteriorly and also in those 

 in which the body tapers posteriorly. The majority of those in the 

 latter category are in widely separated genera belonging to the 

 Colubridffi. These genera with tapering bodies have one character 

 in common and that is the scale-row count is regularly a low one, 

 being usually 17, 15, or 13 rows throughout. In these serpents the 

 scales accommodate themselves to the • narrowing of the ])ody by 

 becoming smaller. 



In the majority of species the tapering of the l)ody is associated 



