24 



L. a. ANDERSSON, SOME NEW SPECIES OF SNAKES. 



and M. notahis (Peters). In the Royal Museum there are 

 twelve specimens of this i^enus, all received from Cameroon 

 through Messrs. Knutson and Valdau, Dr. Jununer and Dr. 

 Y. Sjöstedt. Wben trying to determine these, I have come 

 to the conclusion tliat the three above mentioned species must 

 be regarded as one species, to which the oldest name Mioäon 

 gahonensis (A. Dum.) may be maintained. 



Following table shows the diiferences presumed between 

 the species. (After Boulenger's Cat. Sn.) 



coUaris. 



Nuiuber of ventrals . 



i » subcaudals 



Internasals 



The eyo 



Frontul 



Nasal 



Temporals 



Lowor labials in con- 

 taot with tlie an- 

 tcrior cliiushields . 



M. gabonensis. 



M. notatus. 



201—228. 



16—22. 



consideral)ly 



sliorter than the 



prsefrontals. 



•',5 of its distance 



to the tip of the 



snout. 



1' 2 as long as 

 broad. 



divided. 

 1 + 1 (or 1 + 2). 



214—249. 



16—24. 



as long as or 



sligthly aborter 



than the prse- 



frontals. 



V-'! — '/a of its di- 

 stance to the tip 

 of the snout. 



V-j?, — 1\ 2 as long 

 as broad. 



entire or iniper- 

 fectly divided. 



1 + 1. 



181— 20U. 



14-18. 



as in M. gaho- 

 nensis. 



\ 9 of its distance 



to the tip of the 



snout. 



sligthly longer 

 than broad. 



divided. 



1 + 1. 



The most important difFerences between the species would 

 be the different number of the ventrals and the length of 

 the internasals compared with that of the prtefrontals. To 

 judge from the number of the ventrals there should be eight 

 M. riofaftts (182— 2U0 ventrals), three M. collaris (20(), 207, 

 211 ventrals) and one M. gahonensis (229 ventrals) among 

 the specimens in the museum. At the first glance on the 

 specimens we find that such a distribution of them is an un- 

 natural one. The relation between the internasals and the 

 praifrontals is very varying in the same group. Among tlie 

 -collaris»-forms we find the internasals well as long as those 

 among the >notatus-» and »gahonensis -forms. Thus, it is olear 

 that the above mentioned chief-characters ought not to be 



