EAST AFRICAN REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS 31 



Genus TRIMERORHINUS Smith 



TRIMERORHINUS TRITAENIATUS (Gunther) 



Rhagerrhis tritaeniatus Gunther, 1863, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 4, vol. 1, 

 p. 423, pi. 19, fig. 8. (Type locality South East Africa.) 



Psammophylax variabilis Gunther, 1892, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 557, pi. 35. 

 (Type locality Shire Highlands, Nj^asaland.) 



Trimerorhinus tritaeniatus Boulenger, 1896, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., vol. 3, 

 p. 139. — Loveridge, 1923, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 882. 



2 (U.S.N.M. 40893-4) Juja Farm, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 8 (U.S.N.M. 40901-3, 41516-8, 41672-3) Lake Naivasha, K. C. 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 40968) Nairobi, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 



3 (U.S.N.M. 40970, 40997, 41973) Guaso Nyiro, K. C. 1909. 



1 (U.S.N.M. 41534) Athi Plains, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 42008) Kapiti Plains, K. C. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 42061) Kenya Colony. (Sm. Afr. Exped.) 1909. 



4 (U.S.N.M. 48584-7) Mtoto Andei, K. C. (Heller) 1911. 

 1 (U.S.N.M. 49080) Kaimosi, K. C. (Heller) 1912. 



Mid-body scale rows, 17; ventrals, 163 to 178; anal divided; siib- 

 caudals, 44 to 63; labials, 8, the fourth and fifth entering the orbit 

 except on the left side of Nos. 40903 and 40970, where there are 9 

 labials with the fifth and sixth entering the orbit; also No. 48586, where 

 there are 9 on the right side only, the fourth and fifth entering the 

 orbit. 



The scale counts of T. variabilis (Gunther) have always been 

 recognized as within the limits of variation of T. tritaeniatus, but 

 variabilis was distinguished on the character that the rostral was 

 slightly broader than deep; correspondingly its upper portion was 

 about a third instead of "about half" its distance from the frontal. 

 In the present series 13 snakes have the rostral broader than deep 

 (variabilis), two are deeper than broad (tritaeniatus) and five are 

 intermediate, being as broad as deep (Nos. 40968, 40970, 42008, 42061, 

 and 48587). The snakes composing this fine series are obviously 

 one species, and as there is no essential color pattern difference 

 between variabilis and tritaeniatus, I propose uniting both species 

 under the older name. 



Genus RHAMPHIOPHIS Peters 



RHAMPHIOPHIS OXYRHYNCHUS (Reinhardt) 



Psammophis oxyrhynchvs Reinhardt, 1843, Vid. Selsk. Skrift., vol. 10, p. 244, 



pi. 1, figs. 10 and 12. 

 Rhamphiophis rostratus Stejnbger, 1893, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 16, p. 733. 

 Rhamphiophis oxyrhynchus Boulenger, 1896, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., vol. 3, 



p. 146. 



1 (U.S.N.M. 20111) Tana River, K. C. (Chanler) 1892. 

 Mid-body scale rows, 17; ventrals, 162; anal divided; subcaudals, 

 95; labials, 8, the fifth entermg the eye. Stejneger has already 

 remarked on an abnormalty of the labials. Total length, 910 

 (630 + 280) mm. 



