62 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



leuca might be given, with the following characters : Length over seven or 

 eight feel ; color black above and beneath, in much the greater part of its length ; 

 chin white, neck and anterior part of abdomen white, with black transverse 

 bands varjing in breadth, with white interspaces of unequal extent ; sides of 

 head white or yellow, the margins of the labial plates bordered with black ; 19 

 rows of scales. Ab. sc. 213, sub-caud. 66. 



Dimensions. Length of head 2 J inches ; greatest breadth 2 ; length of tail 1 ft. 

 \\ inch. Total length 6 ft. 9^^ inch. ; circumference 4| inch. Three specimens 

 in Mus. Acad. N. S., presented by Dr. Henry A. Ford. 



Gen. Remarks. This is one of the largest and most savage looking of the 

 venomous serpents. Dr. Smith gives from 5 to 6 feet as the length of the 

 South African species. According to him they feed on small quadrupeds, birds 

 and eggs, and climb trees readily to rob nests. The genus Naja belongs to the 

 4th section or sub-order of Ophidians in Dumeril and Bibron's arrangement, viz : 

 The Proteroglyph or Apistophid serpents (serpents Proteroglyphes dits Apisto- 

 phides,) of which the essential characters given are, — 



" Serpents in which the anterior teeth are channelled and not perforated at their 

 base," and to the first group into which this section is subdivided, viz : the 

 Conocercal Proteroglyphs, (P. conocerques) having a conical or rounded tail ; 

 the second group, the platycercals, and which live in the water having this 

 organ flat. The family of Conocercals includes nine genera, viz : Elaps, Pseudo- 

 elaps, Furina, Trimersurus, Alecto, Sepedon, Causus, Bungarus, Naja, two- 

 thirds of which exist in our collection. In the largest of the three specimens 

 there are two large and strong anterior channelled teeth, of about equal length 

 on the left side ; on the right side one, having behind it one or two smaller teeth. 

 In the other specimen but a single one is seen on each side; palatine and ptery- 

 goid teeth in two longitudinal rows. 



1 Sing. Preanal, sub-caud 66 



1 " " 65 



1 " " , G4 



the tail terminating in a sharp pointed cone. 



Another of the formidable serpents with which W. Africa abounds is the 

 Echidna nasicornis, Cerastes nasicornis, Wagler, of which Dr. Ford's collection 

 contains one fine specimen. 



Echidna nasicornis, Merrem. 



Syn.' Col. nasicornis, Shaw, Misc. 94, Gen. Zool. v, iii. p. 297, pi. 204. 



Vipera nasicornis, Daudin, Rep., vol. iii. p. 322. 



Vipera nasicornis, T. Reinhardt, Bescrivelse af Nogle nye Slangenarter, 1843, 

 T. iii. fig. 8, 9, 10. 



Cerastes nasicornis, Wagler, Amph. p. 150. 



Echidna nasicorns, Merrem, Tent. p. 178. 



Clotho nasicornis, Gray, Zool. Mis. 60. Cat. Br. Mus. Rept. p. 25. 



Vipera hexacera, Dum. et Bib,, T. vii. p. 141G, Atlas pi. 78, bis. fig. 2. 



We have now three specimens of this deadly but magnificently robed serpent 

 in our collection, two adult and one very young, all from the Gaboon ; the ser- 

 pent formerly figured in the Proceedings (1847, vol. iii. p. 320) having been lost. 

 V/e are ourselves now somewhat in doubt in regard to the animal described and 

 figured in the Proceed. Acad. N. S., vol. iii. p. 320, (1846 — 7.) The description 

 of the Echidna Gabonica, D. & B., given in the Erpetologie generale, corresponds 

 with it perfectly, and no mention is made, nor does the drawing display the 

 narrow headed black mark bordered with yellow, so characteristic ofE, nasicor- 

 nis, and the longitudinal bars upon the middle line of the back are not cut in tri- 

 angle at their extremities, which is the case even in the very young nasicornis. 

 Both specimens referred to have unfortunately been destroyed, the skull of the 

 adult alone remaining, which, however, I am inclined to believe belongs to E. 

 nasicornis. 



As no detailed account of this remarkable animal appears to have been pub- 

 lished, we propose to give a full account of it. 



[Feb. 



Ab. Scut 213 



" 221 



" 219 



