SNAKES. 197 



erect cross bands, alternate \Aith those of the other side ; belly 

 uniform. Length of cleft of mouth ^" ; length of tail g" ; total 

 length 8". 



4. Lycophidion, Fitzinger. 



Body moderate, rounded ; tail short ; head depressed ; pupil 

 elliptical, erect. Shields of head regular : posterior frontals 

 •large, vertical three- sided, occipitals elongate; two nasal shields, 

 the anterior one pierced by the nostril, one loreal, one anterior, 

 two posterior oculars. Scales smooth, rhomboid, in seventeen 

 rows, those of the vertebral row in adult specimens evidently 

 larger ; subcaudals two-rowed. South Africa. 



Lycophidion, Fitzinger, Syst. der Rept. p. 2/ ; Dum. Sf Bibr. 

 vii. p. 409. Lycodon, sp., Schleg. Ess. ii. p. 111. 



1. Lycophidion horstokii. 



Lycodon horstokii, Schlegel, Ess. pi. 4. f. 10, 11 ; Smith, III. 

 of S. Afr. Rept. pi. 5. Lycophidion horstokii, Fitz. I. c. ; Dum. 

 ^ Bibr. p. 412. 



Brown or black, each scale with a bluish-white point at the tip. 



a. Adult. West Africa. Old Collection. 



b. Young. Angola. From Mr. Rich's Collection. 



c. Adult : rather discoloured. West Africa. From Mr. Argent's 



Collection. 



d. Female : two feet long. West Africa. From Mr. Fraser's 



Collection. The bluish-white edges visible only on the 

 posterior part of body ; in the oviduct I found five mature 

 eggs, but without embryo. 



2. Lycophidion semiannulis. 



Lycophidion semiannulis, Peters in Wiegm. Archiv, 1855, p. 51. 



Above bluish black, on each side a series of black erect cross 

 bands ; beneath paler, each ventral plate with a whitish lateral 

 spot ; lips yellow-edged. Mozambique. 



5. Metoporhina, Giinther. 



Lycodon with moderate, rounded body and short tail ; head 

 depressed, with flat crown, rounded in front ; eye small ; pupil 

 elliptical, erect ; rostral shield not protruding, broad, very short, 

 just reaching the surface of head; anterior frontals small, very 

 narrow, posterior large ; vertical three-sided ; one nasal shield, 

 pierced by the nostril; nostril situated near the end of muzzle, 

 raised on the surface of forehead; loreal large, quadrangular, 

 oblique, not reaching the orbit ; one anterior orbital, raised on 



