MACROPROTODON 



213 



fang-like, and separated from the remainder by an 

 interspace. Head slightly distinct from neck ; eye 

 rather small, the pupil vertically elliptic or sub- 

 elliptic when contracted. Body moderately elon- 

 gate ; scales smooth, with apical pits. Tail moderate 

 or rather short. 

 A single species. 



18. Macroprotodon cucullatus, I. Geoffroy 

 The False Smooth Snake 



Form. — Very similar to the Smooth Snakes, with 

 which it has been confounded, but snout broader and 

 very strongly de- 

 pressed. Tail 

 five and a half to 

 six and a half 

 times in the total 

 length. 



Head - Shields. 

 — R o st r al at 

 least twice as 

 broad as deep, 



Fig. 31 



not or but scarcely visible from above. Inter- 

 nasals as long as or a little shorter than the pre- 

 frontals. Frontal not much broader than the supra- 

 ocular in the adult, once and a half to twice as 

 long as broad, as long as or longer than its dis- 

 tance from the end of the snout, shorter than the 

 parietals. Nasal usually semidivided. Loreal once 



