VENOMOUS SERPENTS. l79 



bit both worlds, and form a natural group, in which we 

 may establish several geographical divisions. 



A. American species ; which have the body marked by 

 alternate rings of red and black. 



1. Elaps corallinus. Head slightly conical ; occipi- 

 tal plates rather broad ; arrives at a length of four feet or 

 more, has the thickness of a man's finger ; summit of the 

 head black, colours very subject to variation, as are also 

 the scuta, which in some individuals are 178 + 25, in others 

 as high as 222 + 45 ; ground colour red or yellow, with 

 white or brown : rings often obsolete, and only recognis- 

 able by their white borders. From Brazil to Carolina. 



2. Elaps Lemniscatus. Scarcely distinct from the last. 

 Comes from Guyana. Form a little more slender ; eyes 

 smaller and less lateral ; a black band between the eyes ; 

 rings on the body black, and usually approximated three 

 and three. S. 230 + 36. 



3. Elaps Surinamensis. Easily distinguished by its 

 broad, short, depressed head, covered with rather small 

 plates, bordered with black ; muzzle obtuse ; form squat, 

 the body surrounded with rings approximated three and 

 three, of which the middle is very broad ; the dorsal scales 

 a little larger than the rest. It arrives at a very large 

 size, and inhabits Dutch Guyana. S. 168 + 33, or 182 + 

 37, sometimes six feet long and nearly two inches thick. 



[4. Elaps Jamesoni. — The only specimen hitherto de- 

 scribed, is in the possession of the translator. A spe- 

 cimen wdthout a head is in the British Museum. This 

 beautiful serpent has the general habit of a Coluber : but 

 the fangs and complete poison apparatus, as well as the 

 nasal fossulse, prove it to belong to the genus Elaps of 

 our author ; unless we were to consider it justifiable, for 

 a single species, to institute a new genus. The total 

 length, 6 feet, 1.5 inches ; length of head, 1.3 inches ; 

 body, 4. f. 4.7 inches; tail, 1. f. 7.5 inches. Circum- 

 ference of body where thickest, 4.5 inches. Colour above 

 fine bluish-grey ; where deprived of the cuticle, of a bril- 

 liant sky-blue. Scales smooth, large rhomboidal, on pos- 

 terior of the body and tail edged with jet black ; lower 

 parts yellowash white ; scuta wide ; near anus, and on the 



