100 



OPHIDIA. 



through the ocular ; a narrow, elongate, trapezoid symphysial ; a 

 very large lower labial on each side. Scales equal, smooth, 22 to 

 26 round the body. Prseanal scales very small. Tail very short, 

 obtuse. Uniform purplish brown. 



Total length 165 millira.; tail 18. 



The distribution of this species extends from the !Nicobars and 

 the Malay Peninsula to New Guinea. In the Malay Peninsula it 

 is only known from Bukit Besar, where an egg, containing a fully 

 developed embryo, was obtained by Messrs. Annandale & Robinson. 

 This egg, which was found by a native in a dead tree-trunk,/was 

 broad in proportion to its length, but not circular ; it had a brittle 

 and highly calcareous shell. 



p y I 



Suborder OPHILIA. 



Snakes. Limbless, without movable eyelids or ear-opening, 

 with long, slender forked tongue retractile into a basal sheath, 

 and with the rami of the lower jaw connected by ligament at the 

 symphysis. 



Seven families are represented in the Malay Peninsula. Poi- 

 sonous Snakes are restricted to the fifth and seventh families. 



Synopsis of (lie Families. 



I. Eyes covered over by shields ; body worm- 



like, covered with imiform imbricate 

 scales ; tail rudimentary ; only the upper 

 jaw toothed Typhlopidae, p. 101. 



II. Eyes exposed ; median row of ventral 



scales more or less enlarged, usually 

 forming transverse shields ; both jaws 

 toothed. 



A. Maxillary bone horizontal. 



i. Vestiges of hind limbs, terminating 

 in a claw-like spur usually distin- 

 guishable on each side of the vent. 



Tail prehensile : scales very small Boidae, p. 105. 



Tail not prehensile, extremely short, blunt. . . . Ilysiidae, p. 109. 



2. No vestiges of hind limbs. 

 a. A mental groove. 

 Frontal shield in contact with a large azygous 



occipital ; teeth in prtemaxillary bone Xenopeltidae, p. 112. 



No azygous occipital shield ; no prjsm axillary 



teeth , Colubridae, p. 114. 



6. No mental groove ; maxillary bone 



converging posteriorly towards [p. 206. 



palatine Amblycephalidae, 



B. Maxillary bone very short, vertically 



erectile Viperidae, p. 211. 



