INNOCUOUS SERPENTS. 157 



The late M. Kiiul has referred to our Dendrophis 

 PICT A a serpent of Yemen, described by Forskal, Descr., 

 p. 14, under the name of Col. Shokari. I cannot venture 

 to appropriate this description, which rather seems to me 

 to be drawn from an unknown Ophidian, intermediate be- 

 tween the PsAMMOPHis and the Dendrophis : that of Khul 

 is drawn from the Dendrophis picta. — Part ii. 



DRYIOPHIS 



Is the second genus of Tree- Snakes. They are easily 

 distinguished by their extremely lengthened muzzle, which 

 is most generally drawn out to a point more or less salient. 

 Their forms are very slender, the trunk very compressed, 

 and the abdomen convex ; most of them have either green 

 tints, or the colour of bronze. The upper jaw ordinarily is 

 provided with several teeth posteriorly, and in the middle, 

 which are much developed and grooved. The scales have 

 often a linear form, and the abdominal plates are very high. 

 The eye is not large ; in the first species the pupil is trans- 

 versely elongated. This genus comprehends the true 

 Tree-snakes, w^hich inhabit the intertropical regions of 

 Asia and the two Americas. We may establish in this 

 genus two geographical subdivisions. 



A. The Dryio'phis of the Ancient World. 



Dryiophis, properly so called, have the maxillary teeth 

 grooved, and the pupil of the eye horizontally elongated. 



1. Dryiophis Nasuta. Found from Malabar and 

 Ceylon to the Marianne and Philippine Islands. Scales 

 smooth, of the dorsal range rather large ; rostral plate 

 prolonged into a point ; grass-green ; below paler ; a 

 yellow ray extends along the sides of the abdomen and 

 the tail. S. 180+153. 



2. Dryiophis Langaha. A curious serpent of Mada- 

 gascar. Muzzle prolonged in a fleshy appendix, half an 

 inch in length, often sharp pointed, and sometimes com- 

 pressed and enlarged in the form of a leaf; scales cari- 



