SNAKES. 35 



Sub-order II. Colubrine Snakes. Colubrinia. 



Ophidia, Heterodermia, Colubrinia (Alepia and Diplopia), and 

 Homodermia (Platuria), Rafin. Anal. Nat. 77, 1815. Serpents 

 propres non Veneneux, et S. Veneneux a Crochets accompagnes 

 d'autre dents, Cuvier, R. A. ed. 2, ii. 74, 96. Serpentia Gulones 

 Innocui, et S. G. Venenati pars, 3Ierrem, Tent. 81, 141. Les 

 Serpents non Veneneux, Les Serpents Veneneux Serpentiformes, 

 et Les Serpents des Mer, Schlegel^ Phys. Serp. ii. 1, and 440, 488. 

 Reptilia Hysioidea, Pytlionoidea, Colubroidea and Bungaroidea, 

 Fitz. N. Class. 26, 32. Harmless snakes, Gray, Syn. Brit. Mus. 



Fam. III. Hydride. 



The ventral shields narrow, hexagonal or band-like : the hinder 

 limbs not developed : the eyes and nostrils superior, vertical, the 

 latter valvular, generally placed in the middle of a shield, with a 

 slit or groove to its outer edge : fangs moderate, intermixed with 

 the maxillaiy teeth : pupil small, round: tail compressed or conical. 

 Living in the sea or salt-water lakes, or in fresh-water 



Hydri and Pseudo-Vipera, Oppell, Rept. 1811. Hydridae, Gra?/, 

 Ann. Phil, x, 1825,206. Zool. Misc. 59, 1842. Bonap'. Amp. Eur. 9. 

 Bungaroidea, § 1, and Colubroidea pars, Fitz. N. Class. Rept. 32, 

 54, 1826. Hydrophidae, Boie, Isis, xx. 510, 1827. Serpens d'eau 

 douce (part), and Serpents de Mer, Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 332, 488. 

 (Ophidia Homodermia), Platuria, Rafin. Anal. Nat. 77, 1815. 

 Chalinophidia (fam. Hydrophis) and Hemiophidia (fam. Pelophis, 

 and Nectophis), Fitz. Consp. Ophid. 1846. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



I. Tail compressed (except in Acrochordus). Belly heeled^ ivith 

 two roivs of small scale-like shields, often united together into a 

 single, rather broad, six-sided shield. 



A. Head shielded to the nape. Nasal shields very large, with a large, 

 operculated, superior nostril in their hinder edge; the frontal 

 shields two pairs, small ; loreal shield none ; labial shields high, 

 large. Hydrina. 



