DIVISION OPISTHOGLY PHA. 125 
6. PSAMMOPHIS SIBILANS. Hissing Sand Snake; Blaas Zand Slang. 
8. 
Synonyms—Coluber sibilans ; Psammophis thomast. 
Colour—Colour very variable. 
A. Olive or brown above, the scales mostly black-edged ; 
a more or less distinct narrow yellow vertebral line and a broader 
yellow streak along each side of the back; head with yellow, 
black-edged longitudinal streaks in front, and transverse ones 
behind, which markings, however, may become very indistinct 
in the adult; upper lip yellowish white, uniform or with a few 
brown or black dots on the anterior shields ; lower parts including 
the lower half of outer row of scales yellowish white, uniform or 
with a faint brown lateral line. 
B. Asin A, but no trace of a light vertebral line. 
C. Uniform brown or greyish-olive above, the markings on 
the head very indistinct ; upper lip and lower parts, including 
lower third of outer row of scales, uniform yellowish white. | 
D. Brown or olive above, with lateral streaks and head 
markings as in A. Vertebral line absent or reduced to a series 
of yellow dots, one on each scale; upper lip with brown or 
black dots; lower parts including lower half of outer row of 
scales, white, with a continuous or interrupted black longitudinal 
line on each side of the belly. 
E. Uniform brown or olive above, with more or less distinct traces 
of the markings on the head; upper lip yellowish, with brown 
or blackish dots; lower parts including lower third or lower 
half of outer row of scales, yellowish, with a brown or black 
line on each side of the belly. 
F. Olive above, which colour extends down to the ends of 
the ventrals, uniform or dotted with blackish, or with most of 
the scales black-edged ; sometimes in the young with traces of 
light longitudinal stripes ; upper lip yellowish, spotted or speckled 
with black; belly yellowish or pale olive, uniform or dotted 
with black on the sides, the dots sometimes confluent into longi- 
tudinal lines. 
Average length—4 feet. Some specimens attain a length of over 
5 feet. 
Distribution—Both provinces of Cape Colony; Natal; Zululand ; 
Transvaal; Southern Rhodesia; North through Tropical Africa 
to Egypt. 
. PSAMMOPHIS BREVRIOSTRIS. Short-snouted Sand Snake. Kort-snoet 
Zand Slang. 
Synonym—Psammophis sibilans. 
Colour—Brown or dark olive on the back (7 rows of scales), pale olive 
on the sides down to the ventrals, the two shades separated by 
a more or less distinct lighter streak; a yellowish black-edged 
spot usually present on each vertebral scale; head uniform 
olive brown in the adult, in the young with a yellowish streak 
along the frontal, and yellowish cross-bars behind; yellowish 
white beneath, with a series of olive or blackish dots or short 
streaks along each side. 
Average length—4 feet. Some specimens attain a length of over 
5 feet. 
Distribution—Both provinces of Cape Colony; Natal; Zululand ; 
Transvaal; Angola. 
PSAMMOPHIS JALL&. Sand Snake. 
Distribution—Southern Rhodesia. 
