174 ON THE niYSIOGNOMY OF SERPENTS. 



tail prehensile, endued with gi'cat power. Head heart- 

 shaped, covered on the top v.ith scales of an irregular shape, 

 largest toward the point of the muzzle. All the labial 

 plates are hollowed by fossettes ; 53 rows of smooth scales. 

 Size about six feet. S. 196 -f 70. From the river Ama- 

 zons to Surinam. 



5. Boa hortulana. — Distinguishable by its slen- 

 der form, its very long tail, by a large hollow in its cheek ; 

 small fossettes or grooves may also l)e observed on the 

 posterior plates of the lower lip ; the anterior teeth are 

 larger than the rest ; head heart-shaped, irregularly 

 clothed with scales above ; but one pair of broad frontals, 

 two frenals, and one anterior ocular plate ; trunk much 

 compressed ; abdomen a little angular, and covered with 

 scuta broader than usual in the genus ; 39 rows of long 

 smooth scales ; reddish brown ; a series of broad dark 

 spots, orbicular or lozenge-shaped, and of considerable 

 size, on the sides ; disposition of the tints little constant ; 

 head ornamented with a great number of dark vermicular 

 markings. S. 273 -f 1 17. Probably frequents trees, lives 

 on birds, and inhabits all Brazil, Surinam, and has also 

 been observed in the Isle of St Vincent. 



6. Boa Dussumieri. — From the ancient world, a native 

 of a little island near the Mauritius ; form slender ; tail 

 long, as in the B. hortulana; but the labial plates are 

 without the fossettes. It has 39 rows of carinated scales ; 

 the head much elongated, and clothed with scales, except 

 the muzzle, which has a pair of plates on its upper part ; 

 tail but little prehensile ; the rostral is obliquely trun- 

 cated ; the eyes lateral ; nostrils narrow, and a little ver- 

 tical. S. 238 -h 128. Size much less than the South 

 American species of Boa. Above brownish gi'ey, with a 

 few spots on the nape ; below yellowish. 



7. Boa carinata. — A very small species from the 

 Moluccas and New Guinea. Head rather long and de- 

 pressed; muzzle angular at the sides, and truncated at 

 the end ; these parts covered with scales, with the excep- 

 tion of the frenal region and the lips ; nostrils and eyes 

 lateral, the last projecting ; abdomen convex, aud covered 

 by plates wider than usual ; several long maxillary teeth 



