CROCODTLIA.NS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 

 CHAEINID^. 



727 



In Charina the sulcus of the hemipenis is bifurcate, but tlio orjjfan is 

 simple. The surface is plicate, the plicte distant toward the apex, and 

 the apex smooth. 



But one genus of this family is known. 



CHARINA Gray. 



Charina Gray, (Jat. Snakes Brit. Mus., 1849, p. 113.— Copk, Bull. U. S. Nat. 



Mu8., No. 32, 1887, p. 51.— Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., 1, 1893, p. 130. 

 Wenona BAiRD.aiuI Girard, Cat. N. Anier. Rept., Pt. 1, Serp., 1853, p. 1.39.— 



BocouRT, Miss. Sci. Mexique, 1882, p. 511. 



Nostril between postnasal and prenasal, the latter confluent with the 

 internasal. Two pairs of prefrontals; a frontal and rudimentary 

 parietals. Pupil vertical. Scales of body smooth. Tail short, obtuse; 

 not prehensile. Anal spines exserted. 



Prenasal spparated from internasal; postnasal joining preocular; prefrontal enter- 

 ing orbit ; one superciliary ; superior labials 8-9 C. hrachijops. 



Postnasal plate separated from preocular; prefrontal not entering orbit; more than 

 one superciliary ; prenasal fused with internasal; superior labials 9-11.. 6'. hottw. 



CHARINA BRACHYOPS Cope. 



Charina brachyops Cope, Proc. U. 8. Nat. Mus., 1888, p. 88, pi. xxxvi, fig. 2. — 

 Stejneger, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XIII, 1890, p. 181.— Boulenger, Cat. 

 Snakes Brit. Mus., 1, 1893, p. 131. 



Muzzle rather elongate; extremity depressed, rostral plate reflected 

 backward above, but not separating internasals. These are about 

 equal in dimensions to each of the two pairs of the prefrontals, and 

 like them are not separated from each other by scales on the median 

 line. The frontal would be a semicircle were it not that the anterior 

 border presents a very obtuse angle forward. This border is continu- 

 ous with the anterior border of the superciliary, which is not the case 

 in the C. botUc. The posterior prefrontal passes in front of the single 

 superciliary, and its posteroexternal border occupies more of the bor- 

 der of the orbit than <loes the preocular below it. The parietal is a semi- 

 circular band, and it is followed immediately by the usual type of 

 scales. The anterior prefrontals rest at their extremities equally on the 

 preocular and the postnasal. The former is trapezoidal, and is about 

 as high as long; the latter is a little longer than high. The prenasal 

 is very small. Superior labials eight on one side and nine on the other; 

 the eye resting on the third, fourth, and fifth on one side, and on the 

 same phis the sixth on the other. Two postoculars. Three or four 

 pairs of geneials of about the same size as the gular scales. Scales of 

 the body in forty-five rows. Tail short obtuse, Avith a dermal cap scale. 



Color in alcohol : dark brown above, light brown or yellowish below. 



