Family X.— AMBLYCEPHALID^. 



Body and taiJ slender, strongly compressed ; head thick 

 large, very distinct. Eye moderate with vertical pupil. 

 Nostril in a single nasal ; rostral very high. Head-shields 

 often increased above the normal number. Cleft of the 

 mouth smaller within than without ; lower jaw not expan- 

 sible ; chin shields unsymmetrical, no mental groove. 

 Scales generally smooth , 13-15. Maxillary small, with few 

 and small teeth ; other teeth strong. 



AMBLYCEPHALUS, Wagler. 



Head short, thick, high, with convex lips. Crown shields 

 have often small shields intercalated; several loreals; a 

 complete orbital ring. Scales 13, smooth, elongatei^ verte- 

 brals larofe, hexagonal. Anal and suhcauclals entire. Teeth 

 few ; a long anterior palatine and mandibulary tooth. 



A. BOA, Klilll. 



Ventrals 152-170, subc. 88-112. Loreals 8, one above the 

 other. Purplish, marbled and dotted with brown ; cheeks 

 and lips carnation, with vertical subocular streak. Grows 

 to 3 feet. 



Straits. Climbs, and lives on insects. 



PAREAS, Wagler. 



Cleft of mouth very short. Crown shields regular. Scales 

 15, generally smooth ; vertebrals larger. Anal entire, sub- 

 caudals bifid. Nasal generally simple. 



P. CARINATUS, Reinwardt 



Tentrals 160-174, subc. 52-74. E-esembles Amhlycepluxlus 

 in its tumid lips and complete orbital ring. Greyish brown, 

 with reticulated black cross-bands ; black post-orbital streak. 

 Java, Cochin-China. 



P. MONTicoLUS, Cantor. 



Ventrals 194, subc. 87. Loreal none, replaced by a large 



