89 



A POPULAR TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN 



SNAKES. 

 Illustrated by Coloured Plates and Diagrams 



by 



F. Wall, C.M.G., C.M.Z.S., F.L.S., Lieut.-Colonel, I.M.S. 



Part XXVI (with Plate XXVI and Diagram). 



(( 'on tinned from page G35 of Volume XXV.) 



As now classified the large family Colubridce is divided into three 

 " series " depending upon peculiarities in the dentition of the 

 Maxillas. 



Series A. Agtypha (Greek "a" without, and " ghrpho " I carve) 

 comprises those snakes that have no grooved (carved) nor canali- 

 culate fangs. 



Series B. Opisthogtypha (Greek " opisthe " behind. and 

 "glupho") the representatives of which have grooved fang-like teeth 

 at the back of the maxilla. 



Series C. Proteroglypha (Greek "proteros"' in front, and 

 '• glupho ") including those snakes with a pair of canaliculate or 

 true fangs in the front of the maxilla. The first subject of this 

 paper comes into " Series " B, and the second into " Series" C. 



"Series" B. OPISTBOGLYPHA. 



This "Series" comprises three sub-families (1) Homalopsina?. 

 (2) Dipsadomorphiime, and (3) Elachistodontinas. The first of 

 these contains our first subject. 



Sub-family IIOMALOPSIX M . 



This is again divided so as to represent ten genera, seven of 

 which occur within Indian limits. 



Genus CERBERUS. 



Three species are known, one Australian, one peculiar to the 

 Philippines, and a third rhynchops which has a wide range of 

 distribution in India and beyond. 



CERBERUS RHYNCHOPS (Schneider). 



The Dog-faced Water snake. 



History. — This was first brought to the notice of the scientific 

 world bjr Russell who figured it twice, once in his First Volume 



