120 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.91 



NEUSTEROPHIS VARIEGATUS (Peters) 



1861. Mizodon variegaUis Peters, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1861, p. 358 

 (Pel, Gold Coast). 



S (U.S.N.M. No. 109058), Gibi 

 9 (U.S.N.M. No. 109307), Bromley 

 S ? (U.S.N.M. Nos. 109583-4), Bendaja 



Midbody scale rows 15 ; ventrals 124:-131 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 

 75-78; labials 8, the fourth and fifth entering the orbit; preoculars 

 1-2. Larger $ measures 279 (186 + 93) mm.; larger ? measures 

 237 from snout to anus, tail truncate. 



Bogert (1940, p. 33) advances sound reasons for separation of the 

 smooth-scaled African "iVa^Wa?" under Giinther's (1858) name of 

 Neiosterophis. I take this opportunity of correcting the misidentifi- 

 cation of three Paiata, Liberia, snakes reported as Natrix fuliginoides 

 by Barbour and Loveridge (1930, p. 772), and my (1936, p. 21) mis- 

 taken action of synonymizing variegatus with fuliginoides on account 

 of their occurrence together at Bitye, Ja River, French Cameroons, 

 The two species are very closely related, practically identical in 

 markings, yet cannot be regarded as races of one species for their 

 ranges are largely coextensive, though variegatus extends farther 

 westward to Liberia and French Guinea. This means that fuligjr- 

 noides should be deleted from the Liberian list. 



BOAEDON LINEATUS VIRGATUS (Hallowell) 



1854. Coelopeltis virgata Haixowell, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci, Philadelphia, 1854, 

 p. 98 (Liberia). 



$ (U.S.N.M. No. 109592), Bendaja 



Midbody scale rows 23; ventrals 223; anal entire; subcaudals 50; 

 labials 8, the fourth and fifth entering the orbit; preoculars 2; post- 

 oculars 2; temporals 1 + 2 (R) and 1 + 1 (L). 



Trinomials are used because this extreme western form differs from 

 the nominate species only in the reduced number of midbody scale 

 rows, which, however, is almost constant for Liberia, becoming rarer 

 as one proceeds eastward and unknown east of the Belgian Congo. 

 The region of overlap is very extensive. 



BOAEDON LINEATUS LINEATUS Dumeril and Bibron 



1854. Boaedon lineatus Dumi^ril and Bibron, Erp^tologie g^n^rale, vol. 7, 

 p. 363 (Gold Coast). 



$ (U.S.N.M. No. 109673), Mombo 



