SNAKES. 63 



1820. Homalopsis sp., Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 350. Herpetou, 

 Wagler, Syst. Amph. 169. 



1. The Eepeton. Erpeton tentaculatus, Lacep. Ann. Mus. 

 ii. t. 50. Latr. Rept. iv. 198. Boie, Isis, 1827, 511. Baud. Rept. 

 vii. 246, t. 86. Guerin, Icon. Rept. t. 20, /. 3. Rhinopirus Erpe- 

 ton, Merrem, Tent. 12. Homalopsis H erpeton, Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 

 359. Abbild. 50, t. 16. 



Pale brown, with the whitish streaks continued on the tail. 



Inhabits ? Mus. Paris ; from the old Dutch collection. 



B. Head shielded. Tail with two series of shields beneath. Nostrils 

 superior^ bettveen two plates. Abdominal shields broad^ keeled on 

 each side : scales smooth. Bitiana. 



15. BiTIA. 



Head small ; crown shielded : frontal plates 3 ; anterior be- 

 tween the two larger nasal plates ; posterior very small, rudimen- 

 tary : upper nasal scale the smallest, at the upper hinder angle of 

 the larger ones: vertebral plate longitudinal, rather larger than 

 the rather narrow superciliary shields: occipital plates trigonal, 

 placed in pairs ; one triangular rather large loreal ; one high 

 band-like anterior and a larger inferior and small superior pos- 

 terior ocular: front upper labial shields moderate, hinder very 

 large: body elongate, slender, rather compressed: dorsal scales 

 smooth : ventral shields keeled on each side : tail short, conical, 

 subtrigonal, end compressed, sharp-edged above. 



1. The BiTiA. Bitia hydroides. 



Lead-coloured in spirits, with broad blackish cross-bands : 

 head blackish ; throat and beneath whitish. 



a. In spirits. ? 



C Tail with two series of shields beneath. Nostrils in centre of a 

 large nasal shield, ivith a groove from their outer end to the outer 

 side of the shield. Ventral shield broad, rounded. Frontal 

 shields 3, or rarely 2 or 4, small ; anterior one sometimes divided ; 

 generally one anterior and two posterior oculars. Scales, vjhen 

 nearly dry, often minutely longitudinally grooved. Cerberina. 



a. Crown scaly; occipitals rudimentary ; frontals 4, anterior very 



small. 



16. Cerberus. 



Head dilated behind ; crown scaly ; face shielded to the eyes : 

 anterior frontal small ; superciliary small ; vertical rudimentary 



G 2 



