208 COLUBRID^E 



fangs situated below the posterior border of the eye ; 

 anterior mandibular teeth strongly enlarged. Head 

 not very distinct from neck, with angular canthus 

 rostralis and projecting supraocular; eye large, with 

 round pupil ; nostril a crescentic slit in a single or 

 divided nasal. Body elongate ; scales smooth, more 

 or less distinctly grooved longitudinally in the adult, 

 with apical pits. Tail moderately long. 



The range of this genus, which comprises only 

 two species, extends over Southern Europe, South- 

 Western Asia, and North Africa. 



17. Ccelopeltis monspessulana, Hermann 



{Natrix lacertina, Wagler ; Coluber insignitus, 



I. Geoffroy) 



The Montpellier Snake 



Form. — Slender ; head elongate, narrow, concave 

 above on the snout and between the eyes; snout 

 projecting, rounded, with raised canthus and con- 

 cave loreal region. Tail about one-fifth to one- 

 fourth of the total length. 



Head-Shields. — Rostral nearly as deep as broad, 

 just visible from above. Internasals much shorter 

 than the prefrontals. Frontal very narrow, twice to 

 twice and a half as long as broad, its width in the 

 middle not more than half that of the supraocular, 

 widening in front and extending beyond the supra- 

 oculars to join the preoculars, longer than its distance 

 from the end of snout, as long as or a little longer 



