238 REPTILES. 



C. Venomous Snakes with perforated, permanently erect fangs. 



Fam. XIV. DENDRASPIDIDiE. 

 Characters and synonymy the same as of the only genus. 



1. Dendraspis, Schlegel. 



Body and tail very elongate and slender ; belly flat ; head 

 quadrangular, elongate, distinct from neck, with flat crown and 

 elongate muzzle; shields of crown regular; two nasals, nostril 

 between; loreal replaced by posterior frontal; three anterior, 

 four posterior oculars. Scales smooth, much imbricate, in seven- 

 teen or nineteen rows, those of the vertebral line larger, trian- 

 gular. Anterior ribs shorter than following. Anal bifid ; sub- 

 caudals two-rowed. Perforated fang in front, no other smooth 

 teeth behind; anterior tooth of lower jaw longest, separated 

 from the hinder ones by an interspace. South and West Africa. 



Dendraspis, Schlegel, Verslag Zool. genootsch. Amsterd. 1848. 

 Dendroechis, Fischer, Michaelis, Programm Hamb. Realschule, 

 1 855, p. 20. Chloroechis, Bonap. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1849, p. 145. 

 Leptophis, sp., Hallowell. Dinophis, Hallowell, Proc. Ac. Nat. 

 Sc. Philad. 1852, p. 203. Elaps, sp., Traill. Naja, sp., A. Smith, 

 Dum. ^ Bibr. 



1. Dendraspis angusticeps. 



Naja angusticeps, Smith, III. of S. Afr. pi. 70 ; Dum. 8f Bibr. 

 p. 1301. Chloroechis angusticeps, {Schlegel) Peters in Wiegm. 

 Archiv, 1855; A. Dum. I. e. p. 556. 



Scales in seventeen (nineteen) rows ; ventral plates 270 ; sub- 

 eaudals 115. 



a. Young. Niger Expedition. From Mr. Eraser's Collection. 



b. Adult. W. Africa. From Mr. Rich's Collection. 



c. Adult. Africa. Presented by J. Bann, Esq. 



d. Adult: head injured. Africa. From the Haslar Collection. 



e. Adult. Africa. 

 /. Skull of an adult. 



2. Dendraspis jamesonii. 



Elaps jamesonii, Traill in Translation of SchlegeVs Essai, 

 1843, p. 179. pi. 2. f. 19, 20. Leptophis viridis, Hallowell, 

 Proc. Ac. Not. Sc. Philad. 1844, p. 172. Dendraspis jamesonii, 

 Schleg. Verslag der werkzaamheden van het Zool. genootsch. 

 Amsterd. 1848. Chloroechis jamesonii, Bonap. Proc. Zool. Soc. 



