596 



OPHIDIA 



Bhinophis. — The tail -shield is convex and the snout is 

 pointed. lih. sanguineus of Southern India is black above with 

 a bluish gloss, sometimes with small pale specks ; the belly and 

 several of the lateral series of scales are bright red, spotted with 

 black. The tail-shield is black and red. 



Fam. 5. Boidae. — Typical Snakes, usually large, and with 

 vestiges of pelvis and hind-limbs, appearing externally as claw- 



FiG. 155. — Skull of JSunectes murinus. x 1. The teeth on the maxillary, palatine, and 

 pterygoid have been onutted. Col, Columella auris ; Cond, occipital condyle ; 

 E.P. and E.l'tg. ectoiiterygoid or transverse bone ; F, frontal ; Mand, mandible ; 

 Max, maxillary ; Xa, nasal ; Pal, palatine ; Far, parietal ; Fmx, premaxillary ; 

 /-'/■./, prefrontal ; I't.f, postfrontal ; Ftg, pterygoid ; Q, quadrate ; <?'/, squamosal ; 

 TV^'turbinal. 



like spurs on each side of the vent. The scales of the upper 

 surface are usually small and smooth, while those of the ventral 

 surface form one broad series on the belly, and one or two rows 

 on the tail. The quadrate is carried by the horizontally elongated 

 squamosal, which rests loosely upon the lateral occipital region. 

 The prefrontal is in contact with the nasal. Teeth are carried 

 by the mandibles, the pterygoids, palatines, maxillaries, and, in 

 the Pythoninae, by the premaxillaries also. Yoy further details 

 see Figs. 155, 15G. 



The Boidae comprise between sixty and seventy species, which 



