SNAKES. 



201 



vertical ; loreal large ; nostril evidently between two shields, an- 

 terior one larger, and forming a part of the front side of muzzle ; 

 eight upper labials, fourth and fifth coming into the orbit ; me- 

 dial chin-shield narrow, elongate ; first pair of lower labials very 

 elongate, forming together a suture behind the medial chin-shield; 

 about eight temporal shields, the foremost larger and in contact 

 with the lower post-orbital, the hinder ones scale-like. Scales 

 smooth, rhombic, small, in twenty-five rows, those of the back 

 smaller than the remainder ; anal and subcaudal plates not di- 

 vided. Coloration as above mentioned, belly sometimes in the 

 middle whitish. The longer teeth of both jaws form a continuous 

 series with the remainder. Length of cleft of mouth f " ; length 

 of tail 5^'; total length 23". 



I found in the stomach of the largest specimen several young 

 mice ; the general food of the South African Lycodontida appears 

 to consist of these small mammalia. 



8. Lycodon, Boie. 



Body rather elongate, rounded or slightly compressed ; tail 

 moderate ; head depressed, with flat crown and broad, rather 

 obtuse muzzle ; pupil elliptical, erect ; shields of head regular ; 

 two nasals, nostril between ; one loreal, one or two anterior, two 

 posterior oculars. Scales smooth, moderate, not much imbricate, 

 in seventeen rows, those of the back equal or not much larger 

 than the others. Anal entire; subcaudals two-rowed. East Indies. 



Lycodon, Wagl. Syst. Amph. p. 186 ; Dum. 8f Bibr. vii. p. 367. 

 Lycodon, sp., Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 981 ; Schleg. Ess. ii. p. 10-^. 

 Coluber, sp., Natrix, sp., auct. prior. 



1. Lycodon aulicus. 



Dum. Sf Bibr. p. 369. 



Rostral just reaching the surface of head ; one loreal, one an- 

 terior ocular. Yellowish brown, with large brown blotches, more 

 or less confluent, sometimes separated by lighter cross bands, 

 entirely or partially, sometimes lineolated or punctulated with 

 the ground colour; sometimes uniform. 



There are innumerable intermediate forms of coloration be- 

 tween the following varieties. 



Var. A. Russell, Ind. Serp. ii. 39. 



a. Adult. India. Presented by Colonel Hopkins. 



b. Half-grown. Cevlon. 



k5 



