l'U Synopses and descriptions. 



TOXICOPHIDIA. 

 Snakes with fixed grooved or movable tubular fangs, connected by ducts 

 with special glands for the secretion of venom. 

 Fangs grooved, erect, immovable. 



PROTEROGLYPHA. 



Tail conical Conocerca. 



Tail compressed Platycerca. 



Fangs tubular, reclining, erectile. 



SOLENOGLYPHA. 



No pit between the eye and nostril Abothrophera. 



A pit on the side of the face Bothrophera. 



Conocerca. 



elapidae. 



Body elongate; head moderate, crown flattened; muzzle short, broad, 



rounded; tail stout, short to medium. Loreal generally absent. Fangs 



erect, grooved, without or with smaller smooth teeth behind them. Eyes 



small to moderate, pupil round in most genera. Scales smooth. 



Elaps, the only genus of the family of which species are known in North 

 America, is also found in South America, Africa, and the East Indies. 



Elaps. 



Schneider, 1801. 



Cylindrical, moderately to very slender; head indistinct, rounded, de- 

 pressed, crown flattened, muzzle short and broad; tail short, stout. Eye 

 small, pupil round. No other tooth behind the fang. Nasal in two parts. 

 No boreal. Anteorbital one, sometimes fused with prefrontal. Postorbitala 

 two, sometimes one. Scales smooth, in 13 — 15 rows. Anal entire or divided- 

 The American species are distributed from the Southern United States to 

 the Argentine Republic. The species mentioned in the synopsis are those 

 regarded as tolerably well established. 



