a) 
A 
INTRODUCTION. 
Tue chief object in preparing the present Synopsis has been 
to give at one view a complete Catalogue of all the species 
of Snakes now in the British Museum collection, and an ac- 
count of the species known to exist in other collections, but 
which are desiderata in the Museum collection, to enable tra- 
vellers, collectors, and others, to assist in completing the 
national collection. 
At the end of the description of each species is added an 
enumeration, stating the state, age, country, and other pecu- 
liarities of each specimen of.the kind in the Museum collec- 
tion; and when the specimen is not in that collection, the 
museum or collection in which it has been observed or 
described is added after the general habitat of the species. 
The individuals in the Museum collection are indicated by the 
letters a, b, c, &c. 
When the age of the specimen is not stated, it is to be un- 
derstood that it is full grown, or nearly so; when otherwise, 
its state is marked; and the sex, when known, and the 
habitat, as particularly as the materials possessed by the Mu- 
seum will permit, are added after the letter by which the 
individual is indicated. 
a2 
