414 BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



It has been intimated by Boulenger (Zool. Rec. for 1898, Rept. 

 Batr., p. 21) that this species is identical with Krefft's E. aniiulatus 

 (of unknown habitat) and Bavay's E. cJielonicephalus, from the 

 Loyalty Ishmds. I shall express no opinion here as to whether he 

 is riglit in thinking it "advisable to consider, provisionall}^, at least," 

 the latter which has a rostral bearing a conical, spine-like tubercle to 

 be the same species as Rreff t's snake," but I must dissent most emphat- 

 ically from having E. ijimse included with any of them. Its four pre- 

 frontals, divided anal, enlarged posterior vertebrals and smooth scales 

 seem at once to forbid such a procedure, notwithstanding the fact that 

 all the specimens of this genus show a remarkably small range in the 

 number of their ventrals. That we have not to do with individual 

 or sexual variations is proven by the fact that I have seven specimens, 

 mature ones of both sexes as well as young ready to be born, which 

 agree in all essential points. They all possess the enlarged ver- 

 tebrals and four prefrontals, thus making out a pretty conclusive 

 case for the distinctness of this species. Doctor Wall, who examined 

 three of the specimens now in the National Museum, remarks that 

 "an examination of the specimens [of E. chelonicepJialus'i] in British 

 Museum shows that a certain slight enlargement of the vertebrals 

 is present at some spots, but no specimen has four prefrontals." It 

 should be mentioned, however, that in a specimen recently received 

 by British Museum from Mr. Owston (No. 1903.6.29.23) as collected 

 in the Yaeyama Islands, the two outer prefrontals are fused with 

 the inner ones, and that Doctor Wall has since recorded another with 

 similarly fused prefrontals. 



Descri'ption. — Adult female; Science College Museum, Tokyo, No. 1 ; 

 Riu Kiu Seas; 1888; Tashiro, collector (figs. 334-337). Head 

 short; body rather short and stout; rostral broader than high, pen- 

 tagonal, the labial border with a posterior projection which fits into 

 the mental groove; nasals as long as frontal, tmce as long as suture 

 between prefrontal, and wider than long, in contact on median line 

 and with very large semilunar nostrils situated on top near posterior 

 border, the concavity directed forward; two pau's of prefrontals, the 

 median pair large, pentagonal, in contact with nasals, frontals, supra- 

 ocular and outer prefrontals which are small and nearly square and 

 in contact with median prefrontals, nasals, preocular, and supra- 

 ocular; frontal rather small, hexagonal, about as broad as long; supra- 

 oculars similar, but slightly longer; parietals rather large, about as 



«One of our specimens of E. ijimx, U.S.N.M. No. 33942, has also a very pointed 

 conical tubercle on the rostral as well as numerous other pointed asperities or tubercles 

 on the anterior facial shields. Another (No. 33943) has tubercles on other head 

 shields, though the one on the rostral is not so prominent and pointed as in the other. 

 Both of these specimens are males. The third is a female with entirely smooth shields. 

 This character then seems to be sexual and not specific. 



