14 LEIOPYTHON GRACILIS, 



NOTE III. 



ON A NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF PYTHONIÜAE 

 EROM SALAAVATTI 



BY 



Dr. A. A. W. HUBRECHT. 



Dec. 1878. 



The snake about to be described formed part of the col- 

 lection which the late Dr. Bernstein brought together in 

 the island of Salawatti. It must be regarded as the re- 

 presentative of a new and interesting genus , which takes 

 its place between the existing genera Liasis and Nardoa. 



It differs from Nardoa in having pits not only on the 

 inferior labials but on the rostral and upper labial plates 

 as well, whereas it approaches this genus by the number 

 and disposition of the shields on the head. The tail is 

 rather long, the form of the animal is slender and grace- 

 ful, the head less broad and at the same time longer and 

 flatter than in most other Pythonidae. This as well as 

 the small, smooth scales might characterize the genus; where- 

 as the peculiar coloration and the metallic hues reflected 

 by the skin will suffice to distinguish the species at first 

 glance. 



Leiopython n. gen. 



Nostrils lateral in the middle of the nasal plate, fol- 

 lowed by a groove which extends backwards and downwards. 



Notes from the Leyclen ^lusemxi. 



