732 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



But three si)eeies constitute this fViniily, XenodermuH JavanUiis 

 Reiuwardt, from the Malaysian Archii)elago 5 the N'othopsis rvgomis 

 Cope,' from the Darieu region of New Grenada, and StoUczlmia Ichasi- 

 ensis Jerdon, from S. India, 



COLUBRID^. 



The natural divisions of this family are clearly indicated by the 

 characters of the hemipenis for the greater part. The characters of the 

 vertebnecan not, however, be neglected, and the dentition in a general 

 way corresponds with the results thus attained. Thus the type of. 

 penis with simple sulcus and well developed ruches includes the large 

 isodout ground snakes and their allies. Tlie types" with furcate sulcus 

 with ruches or disc, are nearly always diacrauterian in dentition. The 

 Natricine hemipenis is always associated with continued vertebral 

 hypapophyses. The smooth or plicate hemipenis is very seldom asso- 

 ciated with such hypapophyses. 



1 repeat here in the main the groups indicated in my prodomous of 

 1893, with the omission of the glyphodont genera. As I have not had 

 access to some of the Oriental and African genera, it ma}' be necessary 

 to introduce some changes into some of the groups which include those 

 genera. I also now regard the disciferous type as of equal value with 

 the others. 



I. Hypapophyses restricted to the anterior part of the vertebral cohimu. 



a. No tracheal lung. 



Hemipenis spineless, smooth or plicate or papillose only Calamahin/E. 



Hemipenis with apical disc ; no calyces; spinous; sulcus furcate. 



Xenodontinje. 



Hemipenis calyculate. spinous; sulcus furcate; no disc Dromicin^. 



Hemipenis calyculate, spinous ; sulcus simple ; no disc COLUBRiNiE. 



a a. A tracheal lung. 



Hemipenis as in Dromicinic Leptognathinje. 



II. Hypapophyses present to the caudal region. 



Hemipenis smooth, not spinous Anopi.opiiallin^. 



Hemipenis spinous, without enlarged basal book LycodontiN/E. 



Hemipenis spinous, with enlarged basal hook or hooks \ai p.iciN.E. 



By far the greater number of snakes belong to the family ColubridiTi. 

 They represent all types of relation to the environment; for some are 

 aquatic, and others are terrestrial, some living on the surface of the 

 earth and others burrowing beneath it. Others are more or less arbo- 

 real, some ascending to the summits of the tallest trees of the forest, 

 and rarelj^ descending to the earth. iSTone of them are dangerous to 

 man, excepting that some of the larger species could cause the death 

 of children by constricting the neck so as to cause suffocation; bnt 

 this accident rarely occurs. Most of the species disappear at the sight 

 of man. 



OALAMARINJE. 



The genera of this group are of various external forms,' and the 

 hemipenis presents considerable variety of structure. 



' Prof. Acad. Nat. Sci. I'hila., 1871, p. 201, pi. xvii, figs. 1-7. 



