THE PlilNCIPAL SPECIES OE POISONOUS SNAKES 



65 



nostril between two or three nasal shields and the internasal. 

 Body cylindrical; scales smooth or feebly keeled, in 28 rows; 

 ventrals rounded. Tail rather short ; subcaudal scales for the most 

 part in '1 rows. 



W. (cgyptia. — Colour blackish-brown on the back, paler on the 

 belly. 



Total length, 1,170 millimetres ; tail 170. 



Habitat : Egypt. 



Fig. 34. — Skull, of Dendraspis viridls (Poisonous West African Colubriue) 



(After G. A. Boulenger, op. cit.) 



(g) Dendraspis. 



(Fig. 34.) 



Maxillary bone curved upwards, bearing a [)air of powerful 

 poison- fangs, not fissured, and not followed by other teeth ; a 

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