170 Dr. A. Gunther on a new Genus of West African Bnakes, 



and five round the tail; ventrals 213, caudals 41. — One specimen 

 from North America. 

 kk. Black bands separated by eleven red scales, twelve round the 

 trunk and five round the tail. — One specimen. 

 6. The interspaces of the red ground-colour extend over less than ten 

 scales. 

 //. Black bands separated by nine red scales, fourteen round the trunk 

 and four round the tail ; ventrals 213, caudals 41 . — One specimen. 

 mm. Black bands separated by eight red scales, twenty-three round 



the trunk and six round the tail. — One specimen. 

 nn. Black bands separated by seven red scales, twenty-three or 

 twenty-four round the trunk, and seven or six round the tail ; 

 ventrals 220, caudals 55. — Two specimens from Honduras. 

 II. The black rings without visible yellow edge. 



a. The red interspaces are irregularly spotted with black; thirty-one 



black rings round the trunk, and eight round the tail : Elaps apiattis, 

 Jan, from Vera Cruz. 



b. A black cross, formed by four scales, in the dorsal centre of every red 



interspace; twenty-eight black rings round the trunk, and five 

 round the tail. — One specimen from Mexico. 

 B. The red interspaces have no black spots besides the black tip of 



each scale. 

 I. Crown of the head (posterior portion of the occipital shields) white. 



a. The interspaces between the black rings extend over seventeen scales ; 



the width of a black ring is one-half of that of the red and yellow 

 together ; ten black rings round the body, and four round the tail. 

 — Two specimens. 



b. The interspaces between the black rings extend over eight to ten 



scales ; the width of a black ring is one-fourth of that of the red 

 and yellow together. 

 «. Nineteen black rings round the body, and four round the tail. — One 



specimen, perhaps = Elaps diastema, D. & B. 

 j3. Twenty-three black rings round the trunk, and six round the tail ; 

 ventrals 228, caudals 40. — Two specimens. 



c. The interspaces between the black rings extend over four to six scales ; 



the width of a black ring is more than one-half of that of the red 

 and yellow together ; nineteen to twenty-one black rings round the 

 trunk, and six round the tail; ventrals 222, caudals 55. — Elaps 

 Fitzingeri, Jan, from Mexico. 



d. The interspaces between the black rings extend over two to three 



scales, and 

 u,, are broader on the belly. 

 aa. Thirty-nine to forty-five black rings round the trunk, two or three 

 round the tail ; ventrals 241, caudals 28. — Three specimens from 

 Venezuela. 

 bb. Sixty-five black rings : Elaps mipartitus, D. & B., from New Gra- 

 nada and Cayenne {Elaps decussatus). 

 ^. The interspaces are equal in width, superiorly and inferiorly ; fifty- 

 seven black rings round the trunk, and three round the tail ; ven- 

 trals 278, caudals 24 : Elaps multifasciatus, Jan, from Central 

 America. 

 II. Crown of the head black. 



a. The yellow rings are very distinct ; the red ground-colour has gene- 

 rally a brown or brownish hue. 

 u. The width of the black rings is less than one-half of that of the 

 interspaces between : Elaps circinalis, D. & B. 



