274 . COLUBRID.E. 



teeth small, anterior longest. Head small, not distinct from neck ; 

 eye small, with round pupil ; nostril in a single nasal ; loreal small 

 or absent. Body cylindrical, short ; scales smooth, with apical 

 pits, in 15 rows ; ventrals rounded. Tail short, subcaudals in two 

 rows. 

 Africa. 



Fig. 19. 



Maxillary and mandible of Homalosoma tutrix. 



Synopsis of the Species. 



I. Ventrals 115-144. 



A. Nasal not in contact with praeocular ; usually two postoculars ; 



frontal as long as parietals .... 1. lutrix, p. 274. 



B. Nasal in contact with praeocular ; one postocular ; frontal 



shorter than parietals. 



Frontal much longer than broad ; suture 



between the internasals longer than 



that between the prsefrontals 2. sliiranum, p. 276. 



Frontal scarcely longer than broad; suture 



between the internasals shorter than 



that between the prsefroutals 3. ahyssinicum, p. 276. 



II. Ventrals 97-110; nasal not in contact with praeocular; two 



postoculars ; frontal as long as parietals. 



4. variegatum, p. 276. 



1 . Homalosoma lutrix. 



Coluber lutrix, Linn. S. N. i. p. 375 (1706). 



duberria {Klein), Men: Beitr. p. 7, pi. i. (1790). 



Elaps duberria, Schneid. Hist. Amph. ii. p. 297 (1801). 



Coluber tetragonus, Lati: Hept. iv. p. 97 (1802) ; Daud. Rept. vii. 



p. 207 (1803). 



arctiventris, Daud. t. c. p. 221 ; Kuhl, Beitr. p. 82 (1820). 



Duberria arctiventris, Fitzi?}(/. N. Class. Bept. p. 55 (1820). 

 Calamaria arctiventris, Schleg. Phys. Serj). ii. p. 30, pi. i. figs. 24-26 



(1837). 

 Homalosoma arctiventris, S?nith, III. Zool. S. A/r., Bept., App. p. 16 



(1849). 

 lutrix, Bum. &r Bibr. vii. p. 110 (1854) ; Gilnth. Cat. p. 20 



(1858) ; Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1862, p. 33, and Icon. 



Gen. 13, pi. iii. fig. 3 (1865). 

 Cyclophis catenatus, Theob. Cat. Bept. As. Sac. Mus. 1868, p. 49. 



