GONYOSOMA, 293 



remains small, the largest specimen I have seen being only 21 inches long, the tail measuring 

 4^ inches. It has a wide geographical range, occurring in Khasya, Sikkim, Assam, Pegu, 

 Mergui, Cochinchina, Sumatra, Java, and the Philippine Islands. 



FAMILY OF TREE SNAKED— DENDROPHWyE. 



Body and tail much compressed or very slender and elongate ; head 

 generally elongate, narrow, flat, depressed, distinct from the slender neck ; 

 snout rather long, obtuse or rounded in front ; cleft of the mouth wide ; 

 nostril lateral ; eye of moderate size or large, with round pupil. Shields of 

 the head normal. Scales generally narrow and much imbricate ; ventral 

 shields generally with two keels, rising on the sides ; subcaudals two-rowed. 

 No large fang either in front or in the middle of the upper jaw. 



The snakes of this family are diurnal species, liAing in trees, and feeding chiefly on tree- 

 lizards ; they are found in all the tropical regions. The Indian species belong to the follomng 



Vertebral scales not enlarged ; no grooved tooth ; one prseocular, two nasals. Gonyosoma, p. 293. 



Vertebral scales not enlarged ; no grooved tooth; two prseoculars, one nasal. Phyl/ophis, p. 295. 



A vertebral series of larger scales Dendrophis, p. 296. 



A grooved tooth behind Chrysopelea, p. 298. 



GONYOSOMA, TFa(/Ier. 



Body and tail elongate, strongly compressed, with more than 200 keeled 

 ventral shields ; head flat above, with the snout more or less elongate, 

 distinct from neck ; eye of moderate size, with round pupil. Shields of the 

 head regular : loreal sometimes absent ; one anterior, two posterior oculars ; 

 two nasals. Scales not much elongate, smooth or very faintly keeled. Anal 

 bifid. Teeth subequal in size, none grooved. 



The species known are East Indian ; the following occur in British India : — 



Scales in twenty-five rows G. oxycephalum. 



Scales in nineteen rows ; loreal shield present G. gramineum. 



Scales in nineteen rows ; loreal none G. frcenaium. 



