TROPIDOCOCCYX PEEROTETI. 301 



which has been compared to the cord of a whip, by their prevalent green colour with two 

 white stripes on the belly, by their horizontal pupil, indicative of their nocturnal habits, and, 

 finally, by their dentition. Tropidococcyx alone approaches the Psammophides by a stouter 

 habit. Their movements are awkward on the flat ground, but extremely graceful and rapid 

 in their natural haunts, among the branches of trees. Whilst they retain their hold with 

 a few coils of the tail, their long body enables them to reach a distant branch, or to shoot 

 forth to seize a remote prey, as birds, lizards, &c. They are numerous almost everywhere 

 between the tropics. The Indian species belong to the following genera : — 



Snout without appendage ; loreal none Tropidococcyx, ]). 301. 



Snout witliout appendage ; loreal present Tragops, p. 302. 



Snout with a flexible appendage Passerita, p. 305. 



TROPIDOCOCCYX, Gfhr. 



Body and tail rather slender, slightly compressed ; head rather depressed, 

 with pointed snout and sharp canthus rostralis ; rostral shield not prolonged. 

 Eye of moderate size, with horizontal pupil. Nostril small, lateral, in a 

 single nasal. Shields of the head regnlar ; loreal none. Most of the scales 

 smooth, rather elongate, in fifteen rows ; those of the vertebral series not 

 enlarged. Ventral shields not keeled ; anal bifid. The fourth or fifth max- 

 illary tooth enlarged, the last grooved. 



Only one species is kno^vn. 



TROPIDOCOCCYX PEEROTETI. 



Psammophis perroteti, Dum. 3j- Bibr. vii. p. 898. 



Leptophis canariensis, Jerdon, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. 1855, xxii. p. 530. 



Dryiopliis tropidococcyx, Giinth. Colubr. Snakes, p. 157. 



Tropidococcyx peiToteti, Giinth. Ann. ^ Mag. Nat. Hist. 1860, vi. p. 428 c. fig. 



The rostral shield is rather higher than broad, slightly convex, with the upper margin 

 bent backwards. Anterior frontals small, bent downwards on the sides, in contact with the 

 first and second upper labial shields ; posterior frontals about three times as large as anterior, 

 bent downwards on the side, in contact with the second upper labial. Vertical rather long, 

 bell-shaped; occipitals much longer than broad, somewhat pointed behind, with a notch 

 between the points. Nasal shield very narrow, simple, pointed behind ; the small round 

 nostril is in its hinder half. Loreal none, replaced by the frontals. Praeorbital region deeply 



