56 PROCEEDINGS OE THE ACADEMY OP 



the shape of the scales does not differ materially, but the number is less, there 

 being but 23 rows near the middle of the body, from four to 11 rows upon the 

 tail. The two lateral stripes oq each side of the head are of a yellow color and 

 more narrow, and meet at the rostral, the interspace forming an acute angle, 

 whereas in quadrivittatum they meet upon the internasal and prefrontals, dis- 

 playing a quadrangular interspace. 



BO^DON QUADRIVIRGATDM, nob. 



Syn. Ccelopcltis virgata, Proceed. A. N. S. Vol. vii. (1854) p. 98. 



Sp. Char. Head short and thick, more narrow in younger specimens ; snout 

 obtuse; frontal plate of moderate breadth anteriorly, posterior angle somewhat 

 obtuse; 23 rows of scales ; two narrow yellow lines on each side of the head, 

 the superior commencing at the rostral, passing over the eye and upon the 

 temple, extending about three lines upon the side of the neck ; the inferior 

 commencing at the middle of the posterior margin of the orbit, passing obliquely 

 over the inferior post-ocular, the three last superior labials, and crossing the 

 angle of the mouth, extends in an oblique manner a distance of three lines, and 

 terminates at the line of junction between the neck and throat, at a distance of 

 two lines from the superior lateral stripe. 



Color uniformly brown above; neck and abdomen yellow; beneath, in the 

 middle, the external portions of the gastrostega brown; the intermediate space 

 spotted with brown ; under part of tail brown. 



Total length 2 feet 2 inches. 



Abd. scut. 205 ; sub-caud. 45. 



Description. The scales are somewhat broader than in the last described spe- 

 cies ; in the younger specimens the head is more narrow, the temples less pro- 

 jecting, upon which are observed two rows of temporal plates. In each of these 

 specimens there are but 23 rows of scales. In one the internasal and prefrontals 

 are fused together. Gastrostega 202 ; a single preanal ; urostega 47, in 

 2d 190—55. 



Dimensions. Length of head 9 lines ; greatest breadth 6 ; length of neck and 

 body 1 feet 11 inches 3 lines; of tail 3 inches 4 lines. 



Habitat. Gaboon, west coast of Africa. Four specimens in Mus. Acad, N. S., 

 presented by Dr. Henry A. Ford. 



Sub-Fam. Eugnathians. 



The first of the two serpents about to be described, belonging to the sub- 

 family or tribe Eugnathians, presents a series of remarkable characters such 

 a3 belong to no serpent with which we are acquainted, and which constitute a 

 genus to which the name Hormonotus may be applied. 



HORMONOTUS,* nob. 



Ocn. Char. Head Lycodontiform ; the temples swollen ; the snout rounded ; 

 the eyes prominent, looking upward and outward ; internasals considerably 

 smaller than prefrontals ; vertical long, pentangular ; nostril between two plates ; 

 a frenal ; one antocular, three postoculars ; the eye resting on the fourth and 

 fifth supra-labial ; two of the anterior teeth of the lower jaw quite large, the pos- 

 terior stouter at the base, and longer than the anterior ; two long anterior teeth in 

 the upper jaw preceded b}' several small ones, followed by an interspace with- 

 out teeth, and eight or more maxillaries of nearly equal length ; palatine and 

 pterygoid teeth in two long rows, presenting an ovoid space posteriorly ; scales 

 smooth, with a larger hexagonal row along the median line of the back; tail 

 of moderate length, tapering to a point, with double urostega ; ventral scutes 

 passing up along the sides in a nearly rectangular manner. 



HORMONOTDS AUDAX. 



Sp. Char. Uniform light brown or reddish as above, yellow beneath ; 15 rows 

 of smooth scales. * 



* ogjMs;, a chain, and vona-, back. 



[Feb. 



