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The general form is cylindrical, of equal diameter from the 
occiput to near the blunt point of the tail. The horizontal 
diameter of the body slightly exceeds the vertical to within a 
short distance from the point of the tail, where the sides are 
compressed. The head is small, conical, its breadth not ex- 
eeeding that of the body. The profile slopes gently from the 
_occiput and terminates in the pointed upper jaw, which is a 
little shorter (one diameter of the eye) than the blunt, almost 
truncated symphysis of the lower jaw. This generic character, 
however, is apparent only in the adult, for until individuals 
acquire upwards of 20 inches in length, both jaws are equal. 
In the adult, from 20 to 26 inches in length, the length of the 
head varies from 191, to 11, times in the total length. In 
younger individuals, from 9°/4 to 19 inches in length , the head 
is from 72/, to 10, times in the total. The slightly promi- 
nent eye is situated at the commencement of the posterior third 
of the upper lip, a little closer to the lip than to the frontal 
profile. The distance from the eye to the point of the upper 
jaw is about 3 diameters of the eye. In the adult it varies 
from V, to U, of the length of the head, in the young from 
1, to Vs. The diameter of the eye varies from !/,; to Wo, 
of the length of the head. The distance between the eyes, 
across the forehead , nearly equals their distance from the point 
of the upper jaw. The posterior nasal apertures open hori- 
zontally immediately before the eyes: they are lanceolate, with 
raised margins, and somewhat larger than the anterior aper- 
tures, which open through a short yet distinct tube on each 
side of the muzzle. Measured from the point of the lower jaw, 
the gape is contained from 51/, to 6; times in the length of 
the head; in the young it varies from 4 to 6 times. The lips 
are membranous. No pores are visible on the head. Te teeth 
are acute, subulate, recurvous, distant and placed in single se- 
ries. Under the symphysis of the upper jaw appears a single 
small tooth. The four succeeding teeth of each branch gradual- 
ly increase in length, and are separated by a linear naked 
space. In single adult individuals appears a second series, 
hef 
