318 • COLUBRID.E. 



iiitcrnasals a little longer than broad, a little shorter than the 

 prajfrontals ; frontal once and two thirds to twice as long as broad, 

 as long as its distance from the end of the «nout, shorter than tho 

 parietals ; no loreal, prsefrontal in contact with the second and 

 third labials ; one pra;- and two or three postocnlars ; temporals 

 1+2; nine upper labials, fourth, fiftb, and sixth entering tho 

 eye ; five lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, 

 which are much shorter than the posterior. Scales in 17 rows, all 

 strongly keeled. Ventrals 184-202; anal divided; subcaudals 

 92-110. Yellowish or greyish brown above, uniform or with dark 

 brown spots ; a more or less distinct dark streak on each side of 

 the head, passing through the eye ; upper lip yellowish, usually 

 ■with brown dots ; hinder part of body usually with four series 

 of brown spots, which become confluent into stripes on the tail ; 

 lower parts yellowish, usually more or less profusely powdered or 

 dotted with brown ; a more or less marked brown spot at the outer 

 end of the anterior ventrals. 



Total length 1000 millim. ; tail 310. 



Seychelles. 



a-c, d, e-g. S (V. 190 ; C. ?), SevcLelles. Prof. E. P. Wright [C.]. 



$ (V. 197, :?0i>, 193 ; C. 104, 



101,108),i!tvg. (V.196, 189, 



18o; C.?, 92,109). 

 h. Hgr. (V. 185; C. 99). Seychelles. Sir J. Kirk [P.]. 



i. Skull. Seychelles. 



AYC<HV>M.r<7viu/4 37. ABLABOPHIS. 



Coronella, part., SchJeg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 50 (1837). 



Lamprophis, part., <S'»uY/(, I/L Zool. S. Afr., Rept. (1847) ; Jan, 



Arch. Zool. Anat. Fhi/s. ii. 18()3, p. 284. 

 Ablabes, part., Bum. cS'- Bibr. Erp. Gen. vii. p. 304 (1854) ; Gilnth. 



Cat. Col. Sn.^. 27 (1858). 



Maxillary teeth small, equal, 20 to 2.5 ; anterior mandibular 

 teeth longest. Head slightly distinct from neck ; eye moderate, 

 with vertically elliptic pupil. Body cylindrical ; scales smooth, 

 with apical jiits, in 19 rows; ventrals rounded. Tail moderate ; 

 subcaudals in two rows. Hypapophyses developed throughout the 

 vertebral column. 



South Africa. 



1. Ablahophis rufulus. 



Coronella rufula, Lkht. Vcrz. iJoubl. Mus. Berl. p. 105 (1823); 



^chleij. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 74, pi. ii. tigs. 18 cS: 19 (1837). 

 leucopilus, Stnith, S. Afr. Quart. Jvurn. (1) no. 5, 1831, 



P- 17. 

 Lamprophis rufulus, Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr., Pept. pi. Iviii. (1847) ; 



Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1863, p. 285, a7id Icon. Gen. 17, 



pi. iv. %. 1 (1806). 

 Ablabes rufulus, Dian. cV Pil^r. vii. p. 308 (1854); Giirdh. Cat. 



p. 30 (1858). 



