246 COLUBRID. - 
18. Oligodon melanocephalus. 
Homalosoma melanocephalum, Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1862, 
p. 84, and Icon. Gén. 13, pl. iii. fig. 4 (1865); Boettg. Ber. 
Senckenb. Ges. 1878-79, p. 60; F. Mill. Verh. nat. Ges. Basel, 
vii. 1885, p. 678. 
Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus, Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc, 1864, 
p- 491, and Zool. Rec. 1865, p. 152; Boettg. Ber. Senckenb. Ges. 
1879-80, p. 189; Tristram, Faun. Palest. pl. xvi. fig. 1 (1884). 
Coronella melanocephala, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1869, p. 459. 
Oligodon melanocephalus, Bouleng. Faun. Ind., Rept. p. 317 (1890). 
Nasal undivided ; portion of rostral seen from above as long as 
or a little longer than its distance from the frontal; suture between 
the internasals nearly as long as that between the prefrontals ; 
frontal longer than its distance from the end of the snout, a little 
shorter than the parietals ; a small square loreal present or absent ; 
one pre- and one postocular ; temporals 1+1 or 142; seven upper 
labials, third and fourth entering the eye; three or four lower 
labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields; posterior chin- 
shields very small. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 181-229; anal 
divided; subcaudals 53-68. Yellow or reddish above; upper 
surface of head and nape bluish black; lower parts yellowish white. 
Total length 460 millim. ; tail 75. 
Syria, Sinaitic Peninsula, Lower Egypt. 
a. 2 (V. 218; C. 54). Merom. Canon Tristram [C.]. 
(Type of Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus.) 
hoe (VY. 211; C..56), Haifa. A. Smith Woodward, 
Esq. [P.]. 
c. Agr. (V. 229; C. 59). Sinaitic Peninsula. H. C, Hart, Esq. [C.]. 
94. PROSYMNA. 
Prosymna, Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 80 (1849) ; Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. 
ii. 1862, p. 55; Peters, Reise n. Mossamb. iii. p. 106 (1882). 
Temnorhynchus (non Hope), Smith, Ill. Zool. 8S. Afr., Rept., App. 
p- 17 (1849) ; Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1867, p. 235. 
Rhinostoma, part., Giinth. Cat. Col. Sn. p. 8 (1858). 
Ligonirostra, Cope, Am. Journ. Sc. § Arts, (2) xxxv. 1863, p. 457. 
Maxillary bone short, with seven or eight teeth increasing in size 
posteriorly, the first tooth minute, falling below the centre of the 
Fig. 18. 
Maxillary of Prosymna sundevallii. 
eye, the hindermost very large, strongly compressed, blade-like ; 
palate toothless, or with a few minute teeth on the pterygoids ; 
