346 OPHIDIA. 



MEGiEROPHIS, Gray. 



Body elongate, tail of moderate length ; head flat, depressed, with broad, 

 rounded snout, scarcely distinct from neck, which is not dilatable. Nostril 

 between two nasals. Loreal none ; one prse-, two post-oculars. Scales 

 smooth, moderately imbricate, in thirteen series, those of the vertebral series 

 being very broad, hexagonal. Ventral shields about 225 ; anal and anterior 

 subcaudals entire, the others bifid. Maxillary with a fang in front, which is 

 perforated at the end, showing a longitudinal groove in front ; a second 

 small, simple tooth at some distance behind the fang. 



Only one species is known. 



Meg^rophis flaviceps. 



Bungarus fla\aceps, Reinh. Dansk, Vidensk. Affiandl. x. p. 253. tab. 3. fig. 5. Cantor, Catal. 



p. 112. Giinth. Colubr. Snakes, p. 221. 

 Megserophis formosus, Gray, Ann. ^ Mag. Nat. Hist. 1849, iv. p. 247. 



Black, with a white vertebral line which becomes red posteriorly ; head and neck blood- 

 red, in young specimens with a black median band. A white zigzag band along the two 

 outer series of scales, which becomes red and broader posteriorly, occupying nearly the entire 

 hinder part of the tail. Belly red in specimens from Borneo, black anteriorly and red pos- 

 teriorly in specimens from Pinang. Ventrals 209-226 ; subcaudals 38-52, the ten or sixteen 

 anterior of which are entire. 



This snake has the structui-e of the head-shields and of the vertebral scales of a Bungarus, 

 whilst the resemblance of its coloration to that of Callopliis bivirgatus is very striking ; it is 

 rare, and found in Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and at Pinang. It attains to a great length, our 

 largest specimen measuring 6 feet and 1 inch, the tail being 9 inches long. 



CALLOPHIS, Gray. 



Body subcylindrical, very long and slender ; belly rounded ; head short, 

 obtuse, with broad snout, not distinct from neck, which is not dilatable ; tail 

 short. The shields of the head normal, but the loreal is absent. Nostril 

 wide, lateral, between two shields ; eye small, with round pupil ; one prae-. 



