SNAKES. 33 



^, o. Nearly half-growii : not good state. South Africa. From 

 Mr. Argent's Collection. 



Var. Spots confluent into three longitudinal bands. 

 TT. Adult. Port Natal. Presented by the Rev. H. Calloway. 



5. Tachymenis, Wiegmann. 



Body rather stout; tail rather short; belly rounded; head 

 with flat crown, short, broad behind, distinct from neck, pointed 

 and rounded in front ; rostral shield small, rounded above, 

 hardly reaching the surface of head ; either two ante-orbitals and 

 one separate square loreal, or one ante-orbital and an elongated 

 loreal, reaching the eye (the lower ante-orbital united with the 

 lorealj ; two posterior orbitals. Scales moderate (in nineteen 

 rows), rhombic. Anal bifid. Eye moderate, pupil subelliptical ; 

 nostril between two shields. Posterior maxillary teeth longest 

 furrowed, anterior equal in length ; anterior teeth of the lower 

 jaw longer than the following (in both species). 



Tachymenis, Wiegm.Act. Nov. Acad. Cces.Leop. 1834, p. 252. 

 Tarbopiiis and Dipsas, sp., Dum. 8f Bibr. vii. pp. .911 and 1159. 

 Coronella, sp. and Dipsas, sp., Schleg. Ess. ii. pp. 70 & 295. 

 Ailurophis, [Michah.) Bonap. Amph. Eur. p. 44. Trigonophis, 

 Eichw. Zool. Spec. Ross. iii. p. 174. Ophis, sp., {Fitz.) Tschudi, 

 Wiegni. Archiv, 1845, p. 165. Tarbophis, FLeischmann, Dalmat. 

 Nov. Serp. Genera, Dissert. Erlangen, 1831. Coluber, sp., Fitz- 

 inger, Savigny. 



1. Tachymenis vivax. 



Savigny. Eg. Rept. Suppl. pi. 4. f. 21-23. Coluber vivax, 

 Fitz. Neue Classif. Rept. p. 57. Tarbophis fallax, Fleischmann, 

 Dissert. Erlangen, 1831, t. 1 . Trigonophis iberus, Eichw. Zool. 

 Spec. Ross. iii. p. 175, and Fauna Caspio-Caucas. t. 18 (not 

 good). Ailurophis vivax, Bonap. Faun. Ital. t . Dipsas 

 fallax, Schleg. Ess. t. 11. f. 35, 36; Nordmann, Voy. Russie 

 Merid. iii. pi. 4. f. 2. Tarbophis vivax, Dwm. Sf Bibr. vii. p. 913. 



Upper labials eight, the third, fourth and fifth touching the 

 eye ; only one anterior ocular, but the loreal reaching the orbit ; 

 above greyish or light brown, with a vertebral series of large 

 dark brown blotches, and on each side a row of smaller spots ; 

 beneath whitish, brown-marbled; a pale brown streak from the 

 eye to the angle of mouth. 



a. Adult. Xauthus. Presented by Sir C. Fellows. 



b. Half-grown. Dalmatia. 



c5 



