SNAKES. 97 



8. CORALLUS. 



Head moderate, covered with scales, with two internasal shields 

 and one series of smaller plates behind them on the end of the 

 muzzle : rostral plate triangular, not pitted ; front upper and hinder 

 lower labial shields pitted: nostrils lateral, between two plates: lo- 

 real shields 2 or 3: eyes lateral; pupil elliptical, erect; orbit with 

 a complete circle of scales : the hinder upper and lower lip-shield 

 pitted ; upper shields two-rowed, the front one slightly pitted : body 

 slender, elongate, compressed : scales flat, smooth ; of the back ra- 

 ther broad, rhombic ; of sides narrower: tail elongate, slender: sub- 

 caudal plates one-rowed, browu and variegated. 



Corallus, Daud. Rept. v. 259, viii. 385. Gray^ Zool. Misc. A4i^ 

 1842. Caramus, Rajin. Anal. Nat. 77, 1815. Xiphosoma, 6, Wag- 

 ler^ Si/st. 167. Xiphosoma sp., Dum. ^- Bib. Erp. Gen. vi. 544. 

 Fitz. N, Syst. 54, 1826. Boa sp., Schneider. 



1. The Cencoatl. Corallus hortulanus. Gray, Zool. Misc. 

 42. Coluber hortulanus, ii«/i. J/t«. Jc?o//?/i. 37. Corallus obtusi- 

 rostris, Daud. Rept. v. 259, t. 64, /. 3, t. 59, /. 5, 6 ; viii. 385. 

 Boa hortulana, Linn. S. N. 374. Lacep. Quad. Ovip. ii. t. 17, f. 2. 

 Schlegel, P. S. 392, t. 14, /. 10, 11. B. elegans, Daud. Rept. v. 

 123, t. 36, /. 1, «. 61, /. 32, 33. B. Merremi, Schn. Syst. ii. 259. 

 Merrem, Beitr. ii. t. 2. Tent. 88. B. Enhydris, Linn. S. N. 375. 

 B. modesta, Reuss. Mus. Senck. i. 129. Xiphosoma hortulanum, 

 Dum. ^ Bib. Erp. Gen. vi. 545. Vipera bitis, Laur. 102. Daud. R. 

 vi. 165 = Seba, ii. t. 16, /. 1. B. obtusiceps, Bechst. Lacep. v. 46, 

 t. 2, /. 2. V. Madereusis, Laur. 102. Daud. vi. 157 = Seba, i. t. 

 54, /. 2. V. cEerulescens, Laur. 101. V. Echidna casrulescens, 

 Merrem, Tent. 153. Col. glaucus, Gmelin, S. N. i. 1092. Xipho- 

 soma (Merremi), Wagler, Syst. 167. X. hortulana, Fitz. N. S. 54, 

 1826. La Broderie, Lacep. Q. O. ii. 381. La Parterre, Bonnat. 

 Xiphosoma dorsale, Wagler, Serp. Braz. 43, t. 15. X. ornatum, 

 Wagler, Braz. 40, t. 14, /. 2, young. Seba, Thes. t. 50, f.l,t. 74 

 and t. 84, /. 1. Scheuch. P. S. t. 661, /. 9. 



White (in spirits), red or black varied. 



Var. 1. Loreal shields 3-3, last smallest: occiput lined. 



a. In spirits. Half grown. Eed-spotted: superciliary shields 3 

 or 4, rather larger than those on crown; upper labials 10-10. 

 Demerara. Presented by Dr. Hancock. 



