CURSORIA ELEGANS. 333 



GONGYLOPHIS CONICUS. 



Russell, Lid. Serp. i. p. 5. pi. 4. 



Boa conica, Schneid. Hist. Amph. ii. p. 268, and Denkschr. Miinch. Acad. 1821, vii. p. 119. tab. 6. 



fig. 2. 

 Gongylophis conicus, TVaffl. Syst. Amph. p. 192. Gilnth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1860, p. 163. 

 Eryx coiiicus, Du7ii. i^- Bibr. vi. p. 470. 



Rostral shield nearly twice as broad as high, with two pairs of small shields behind, the 

 outer of which are the anterior nasals. The labials are low, subequal in size, twelve in 

 number. The remainder of the snout and the crown of the head are equally covered with 

 small keeled scales ; none of the shields enter the orbit, which is entirely surrounded by 

 scales. The margin of the lower jaw is surrounded by a narrow belt of numerous labials, 

 the entire chin and throat being covered with small smooth scales. The middle of the body 

 is surrounded by from forty-one to forty-seven series of short keeled scales, the keels becoming 

 much stronger posteriorly. Ventrals 168-176 ; subcaudals 17-23. Brownish grey, with a 

 dorsal series of large quadrangular brown blotches edged with dark brown and whitish ; the 

 spots are frequently confluent and form a broad zigzag band ; irregular smaller brown spots 

 along the side ; the lower parts white ; an oblique brown streak on the temple proceeding 

 from behind the eye. 



This snake is common in many parts of the peninsula of Southern India. Messrs. von 

 Schlagintweit brought a specimen from Sikkim, which, according to their notes, was captured 

 at an elevation of 4900 feet. Nothing positive is known of its habits, which probably, how- 

 ever, are similar to those of Eryx. It attains to a length of more than two feet. 



CURSORIA. 



Cusoria, Gray. 



This genus is distinguished from Oongylophis by having smooth scales ; moreover it appears 

 to have a mental groove, but this is not quite certain, as the head of the single specimen 

 known is very much shrunk. 



CURSOEIA ELEGANS. 



Cusoria elegans, Gi-ay, Viper. Snakes, p. 107. 



Head oblong, of moderate width and length, with the snout truncated in front, not distinct 

 from neck ; trunk cylindrical, of moderate length ; tail short, tapering. The eye is very 

 small, with vertical pupil ; nostril lateral, very narrow. The whole head, above, below, and 

 on the sides, is covered with small scales, those on the snout being somewhat larger. Rostral 

 shield large, broad, wedge-shaped, with an anterior and lower surface. A pair of small frontal 



