256 



BULLETIN 58, irNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



SYNOPSIS OP SUPERFAMILIES, FAMILIES, AND SUBFAMILIES. 



«' (Tyi'iiloi'oide.e). No ecluptorygoid ((ranspalal.int'); teeth in upper jaw only. 



Typhlopid.e, p. 259. 

 a- An ectopterygoid (Iranspalatine); leelli in huili jaws. 

 V (Natricoide.e). Maxillary Ijone horizontal. 

 c^ None of the anterior maxillary teeth grooved or perforated. Natricid.e, p. 262. 

 (? Hypapophyses present throughout the verte})ral column (figs. 223-225). 



e^ All Hiaxillary teeth solid Natricin.^i:. p. 263. 



C" Posterior maxillary teeth grooved Homalopsin.e, ]i. 200. 



(P Hypapophyses absent in posterior dorsal vertelirte (figs. 226-228). 



e^ All maxillary teeth solid Coronellin.^, p. 306. 



e^ Posterior maxillary teeth grooved Boigin.e, p. 381. 



(? Anterior maxillary teeth grooved (}i- perforat(>d Elapid.e, p. 386. 



d^ Tail cylindric Elapin/e, p. 386. 



d^ Tail compressed Hydrin.e, p. 400. 



b^ (Crotaloide.e). Maxillary l)one vertical. 



c^ No loreal })it Cobrid.e, p. 442. 



c" A deep loreal pit Orotalid.e, p. 448. 



The above synopsis is chiefly based upon characters which either 

 require more or less dissection or examination of the posterior maxil- 



223 • 224 225 



<^.. 



N 



226 227 228 



Figs. 223-228.— Posteriop. dorsal vertebr.e of snakes. 223, back view; 221, lower view; 225; 



SIDE VIEW OF vertebra WITH HYPAropmsis; 22fi, back view; 227, lower view; 228, SIDE view 



OF vertebra ^VIXnOUT HYPAPOPHYSIS (COPIED FROM BOULENGER, CAT. SNAKES BRIT. MUS., I 

 1893, P. 171.) 



lary teeth. The latter often presents difhculties, and while in some 

 cases it must be resorted to in order to obtain absolutely reliable iden- 

 liflcation, a handy artificial key to the genera of snakes occurring 

 within our territors^ may be useful in determining the greater majority 

 of specimens. 



