Dr. A. Giinther on Leptodeira torquata. 169 



young specimen*. There are 166 ventral, 1 entire anal, and 

 50 caudal plates. 



The colour is uniform blackish-ash, or black if the epidermis 

 is lost. 



The series of teeth are very short ; that of the maxillary bone 

 is formed by three smaller ones and a very long and grooved 

 posterior one. 



The larger of the two specimens is an adult female, 3 feet 

 1 inch long ; the head is 13 lines, the tail 6 inches. It con- 

 tained mature eggs, ]J inch long, without any trace of an 

 embryo. 



Mr. Gurney's correspondent adds the following note : 



"The Caffre name for this snake is ' Amafoosamanzi'; it was 

 ploughed up by my man, and the eggs were ploughed up close 

 to it; but whether bothf or either of them belong to the snake 

 I cannot say. The Gaffres say that it is one of the most poi- 

 sonous here (?), and that a person bitten by one would die in a 

 few minutes, unless strong remedies could be applied." 



XVIII. Description of Leptodeira torquata, a new Snake from 

 Central America. By Dr. A. GUNTHER. 



[With a Plate.] 



Two subdivisions may be distinguished among the snakes which 

 I have comprised in the family of Dipsadida : the one has the 

 body elongated and slender, evidently living chiefly on trees ; 

 whilst the other more nearly approaches the Coronellidce, having 

 the body rather stout, and not compressed, and these live on dry 

 ground. 



The genus Leptodeira, in which I have grouped Coluber ru- 

 fescens, Gm., from South and West Africa, and Coluber annu- 

 latus, L., from the tropical parts of the American continent, is 

 that which is truly intermediate between the two families men- 

 tioned, having entirely the habit of Coronella, but with the head 

 remarkably broad and depressed, and the pupil elliptical and erect, 

 as in Dipsas, like which they are probably nocturnal animals. 

 Though always directing my attention to the generic differences 

 which exist between animals from different geographical regions, 

 I have not been able to find any between the African and South 

 American species of Leptodeira. It is true that Dumeril has 



* The presence of a series of larger scales on the back of the tail cannot 

 form a generic character. 



t The eggs sent with the snake belong to two species, different in size. 

 The larger ones, apparently belonging to the present species, contained 

 embryos in the first stage of development. 



Ann. $ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol. v. 12 



