COLTJBRID^. 



277 



Family VII. COLUBRID.^. 



Facial boues movable; transpalatiue present ; pterygoid extending 

 to mandible or quadrate ; supratemporal present, attached scale-like 

 to the skull and suspending quadrate; maxillai-y horizontal, not 

 movable perpendicularly to the transpalatiue. Mandible without 

 coronoid bone. Both jaws toothed. 



This large family, containing the bulk of' (lie Ophidia, may be 

 divided into three parallel series : — 



A. AGLTPHA. All the teeth solid,^ not grooved. Harmless. 



B. OPISTHOGLYPHA. One or more of the posterior maxillary 



teeth grooved. Suspected, or poisonous to a slight degree. 



C. PEOTEROGLTPHA. Anterior maxillary teeth grooved or 



perforated. Poisonous. 



In each of these series we have a more or less perfect repetition 

 of forms, due to adaptation to the various modes of life. 



prrv 



A 



Fig. 86. — Skull of 'rroj)i(lonotitR iJtscafor. 

 A. Upper view. B. Side view. 



ar. 



Articular. 

 c.a. Columella nuris. 



d. Dentarv. 



f. Frontal. 

 //;. JMaxillary. 



n. Nasal. 



p. Parietal. 



pi. Palatine. 

 ■pm. Privmaxillarv. 

 prf, Pra?frontal. 

 pro. Prootic. 



pf. Pterygoifl. 



pff. Postrrontal. 

 q. Quadrate. 

 .s(j. Supraoecipital. 

 st. Supratemporal. 

 f-p. Transpalatiue. 

 CO. Vomer. 



