102 



Coloration. Olivebrown above, becoming gradually much lighter 

 Dii the sides and below, where the brown tone becomes more blueish. 

 The middle of the ventrals yellowish, especially in the second two-thirds 

 of the body. Sides of the scales with black edges , on the outmost row 

 the black edging is reduced to small spots on the ventral side , or even 

 quite absent. The underside of the body finely speckled with black. 



Head brown with a reddish tinge, pink behind the angle of the jaws. 

 Parietals and postparietals with black spots. 



Upperlip yellow, the upper half of each scale being brown like the 

 rest of the head, the two colours separated by a broken dark line , the 

 lower half with large, dark-edged brown marks. A faint yellow dark 

 edged line on the canthus rostralis. Underlip and chin, and the first few 

 ventrals yellowish with more or less rounded grey markings. 



This snake formed part of a small collection received from Mr Tho- 

 mas, Salisbury, Rhodesia, and has been named after the donor. 



Psammophis transvaaliensis n. sp. Snout once and two thirds as 

 long as the eye. Rostral much broader than deep, visible from above. 

 Nostril between two shields; internasals two thirds as long as the prae- 

 frontals. Frontal more than twice as long as broad, in the middle two 

 thirds the width of the supraocular, much longer than its distance to the 

 end of the snout, somewhat longer than the parietals, loreal about twice 

 as long as deep; two praeoculars, the upper widely separated from the 

 frontal : two postoculars : temporals 2 + 2 ; eight upper labials , third, 

 fourth and fifth entering the eye, four lower labials in contact with the 

 anterior chienshields, which are shorter, but broader than the posterior. 



Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 171, Anal divided, proceeded by a 

 single half scale, Subcaudals ? The end of the tail had been lost during 

 life and a terminal conical scale regenerated, only 9 pairs of subcaudals 

 remaining. 



The seven middle rows of scales, dark brown, tipped or edged with 

 black. The top third of the row of scales fifth from middle of back black, 

 lower two thirds of fifth row and upper two thirds of sixth row cream- 

 coloured, outer third of this row black. The seventh and eighth rows 

 dark brown , almost black at the tips. Upper half of outer row black, 

 lower cream. 



A black line along each side of the ventrals , the space between 

 the black lines yellow. Lips and chin cream with black dots and 

 markings, a black line runs along the upper edge of the labials across 

 the rostral. Upper surface of the head light brown, with darker, 

 blackedged markings, a lighter transverse band on the nape. The 

 yellow lateral stripes originate at a short distance from the head, the 



