To PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



irregular lighter colored yellow fasciae, terminating at the external margin of 

 the abdominal scutes ; chin and throat yellowish; abdomen greenish, mingled 

 with yellow; tail olive above, white below. Length 2 ft. 1 inch 2j; ab. scut. 

 247 ; sub-caud. 13 ; 1 single preanal. 



Description. The body is much compressed ; the scales all distinctly carinated ; 

 eeveaty-tive oblique narrow yellow bands maybe counted upon the body ; head 

 yellowish above, marked witb dark colored irregular Hues; the most conspicu- 

 ous of these are two irregular ones over the eyes and two large ones meeting 

 upon the middle of the frontal, and diverging in a V-shaped form, and extend- 

 ing as far as the posterior margin of the parietals, the right branch in the speci- 

 men examined continuous with another extending a short distance upon the 

 neck; these dark colored lines present longitudinal patches of yellow within; 

 scales of moderate length, rather narrow, presenting an angle posteriorly, the 

 carinaj in the middle, and running the whole length of the scale, the inferior row 

 the broadest; 22 rows near the middle of the body; on either side three rows of 

 narrower scales in the specimen examined, immediately above the second infe- 

 rior row ; flanks angular, abdomen fiat, but the gastrostega not ascending upon 

 the sides of the body ; tail of moderate length, tapering to a point. Plates of 

 head. A rostral broader than high, not extending upon the snout, two inter-nasals 

 and two pre-frontals, the former smaller than the latter ; a frontal longer than 

 broad, quite broad anteriorly, (2J lines nearly by 2 in breadth,) more narrow 

 posteriorly, distinctly hexagonal; parietals well developed, rather long, broad in 

 front; supra-orbitar long and narrow, presenting two facets displaying an angle 

 anteriorly, the superior in contact with the pre-frontal, the inferior with the 

 ant-ocular and two posterior, the inferior in contact with the superior post- 

 ocular, the superior, which is greatly extended, with the parietal; nostril between 

 two plates, the posterior much the larger, there being apparently no frenal ; a 

 single and large pre-ocular broader below ; two post-oculars, the inferior the 

 larger of the two; temporal plates but two in number (one above the other,) 

 between the supra-labials and parietals ; eyes of moderate size, round, resting on 

 the third and fourth supra-labials ; seven superior labials, the fifth quadrangular, 

 the sixth and seventh the largest; anterior genials broad, the posterior singular 

 in shape, broad, their external margin three or four times longer than the in- 

 ternal ; ab. scut. 247 ; sub-caud. 73 ; length of head 8 lines ; breadth Ah ; length 

 of body 2 ft. ; of tail 4 inch. 4 lines. Total length 2 ft. 1 inch 4 lines ; circum- 

 ference l.j inches. 



Habitat. Liberia. One specimen in Mus. Acad. N. S., presented by Dr. 

 William Blanding. 



Sub. Ord. Solenogli/phs (Viperidee.) 



Atractaspis corpulentds, nob. 



Syn. Brachycranion corpnhmtum, Hallowell. Proceed. Acad. N. S., vol. vii. 

 p. 99. 



This is no doubt a distinct species from the Atractaspis Bibronii, Smith, of the 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



Atractaspis oorpulentus. 



Sp. Char. But seven plates upon the top of the head, two pairs only between 

 the rostral and frontal ;"' eye resting on the fourth supra labial, the third pro- 

 longed at its postero-superior angle, touching the eye anteriorly and inferiorly ; 

 body much stouter than in A. Bibronii ; 25 rows of scales, twenty-three upon 

 neck, 20 at posieiior extremity of body, commencing at the preanal scale, where 

 the body is only 4v lines in breadth, 8 lines at the middle; color shining black 

 above, brownish beneath ; ab. scut. 182 ; sub-caud. 25 ; preanal single. Total 

 length 1 ft. 8i inches. 



Habitat. Uaboou. One specimen in Mus. Acad., presented by Dr Henry A. 

 Ford. 



* Future observation must determine whether this be a constant character. 



[Feb. 



