115 



BRACHYORRHOS .—Kuhl. 



Genus Brachyorrhos. — Characters. Head minute, not distinct from the neck, 

 ovate; frontal plates large, extended over the eyes; anterior frontal small; no loral, 

 but a large anterior orbital plate; superior orbital plate trigonal, small, not pro- 

 jecting, and placed over the posterior part of the orbit; nasal plate single, large, 

 with the nostril nearly in the middle, over the first labial; mental plates, one pair; 

 body small, rather depressed; abdomen broad; scales smooth; tail very short. 



BRACHYORRHOS AMiENUS.— Say. 



Plate XXVII. 



Characters. Head short, flat; snout truncated; neck not contracted; body 

 slender, flattened, covered with smooth, sub-hexagonal scales, above light chest- 

 nut-brown, opalescent in some lights; abdomen bright salmon-colour. PI. 120. 

 Sc. 35. 



Stnontmes. Coluber amsenus, Say, Journ. Acad. Nat. Scien. Philad., vol. iv. p. 237. 

 Coluber amasnus, Harlan., Med. and Phys. Res., p. 118. 

 Calamaria amsena, Schlegel, Phys. des Serp., torn. ii. p. 31. 



Description. The head is small and flat; the snout broad, and but slightly 

 rounded; the vertical plate is very broad, sub-triangular, with its basis rounded, 

 directed forwards, and its apex backwards; the superior orbital small, sub-trape- 

 zoidal, and slightly concave at its external border, and not projecting over the eye. 



