76 BOID^. 



Proemaxillary bone toothed. Anterior maxillary teeth longest, 

 gradually decreasing in size ; anterior mandibular teeth very large. 

 Head slightly distinct from neck, covered with symmetrical shields ; 

 nostrils lateral, between two small nasals, which are separated from 

 their fellows by a pair of iuternasals ; some of the lower labials 

 pitted. Eye small, with vertical pupil. Body slightly compressed ; 

 scales moderate, smooth. Tail rather short, conical, not or but 

 slightly prehensile : subcaudals mostly in two rows. 



New Ireland, 



1. Nardoa boa. 



Tortrix boa, Schleq. PIn/s. Serp. ii. p. 22 (1837), cmd Abhild. pi. xiii. 



(1889). 

 Nardoa schlegelii. Gray, Zool. Miscell. p. 45 (1842) ; Dum. S,- Bibr. 



vi. p. 447 (1844) ; Gray, Cat. p. 93 (1849) ; Jan, Icon. Gen. p. 99, 



1. 7, pi. vi. fig. 2 (1864). 

 boa, F. Midler, Verh. nat. Ges. Basel, vii. 1882, p. 168. 



Rostral nearly twice as broad as deep, not visible from above ; 

 intemasals broader than long, two fifths to one third the length of 

 the prsefrontals ; latter, one pair ; frontal as long as broad or a little 

 longer than broad ; two pairs of parietals ; a small loreal ; a very 

 large prseocular ; two postoculars ; ten to twelve upper labials, two 

 or three of which enter the eye ; three or four of the posterior lower 

 labials pitted. Scales in 35 to 38 rows. Ventrals 245-267 ; anal 

 entire ; subcaudals 47-52. Yoiing with alternate black and orange 

 rings ; adult brown with black rings, or nearly uniform blackish 

 brown ; head black, with a light spot behind the eve. 



Total length 950 millim. ; tail 120. 



New Ireland. 



a, b, c, d-f. Ad. (V. 251, Duke of York Is. Rev. G. Brown [C.]. 



252, 267 ; C. 52, ?, ?) 



& yg. (V. 248, 246, 



245; C. 50, 48, 51). 

 g. Ad., skel. Duke of York Is. Rev. G. Brown [C.]. 



3. LIASIS. 



Liasis, Gray, Zool. Miscell. p. 44 (1842). 



Nardoa, part., Gray, I. c. p. 45, and Cat. Sn. p. 93 (1849). 



Liasis, part., Ditm. S,- Bibr. Erp. Gen. vi. p. 431 (1844) ; Gray, Cat. 



p. 91 ; Jan, Icon. Gen. Ophid. p. 98 (1864). 

 Lisalia, Gray, Cat. p. 92. 

 Leiopython, Hubrecht, Notes Leyd. Mus. i. 1879, p. 14. 



Praemaxillary bone toothed. Anterior maxillary and mandibular 

 teeth very long, gradually decreasing in size. Head distinct from 

 neck, covered with symmetrical shields ; nostrils supero-lateral, in 

 a large semidivided nasal, which is separated from its fellow by a 

 pair of iuternasals ; rostral and upper labials without or with 

 shallow pits ; some of the lower labials pitted. Eye moderate or 

 rather small, with vertical pupil. Body cylindrical or slightly 



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