ART. 16 SNAKE GENERA MEGALOPS AND AEPIDEA STEJNEGER 6 



U.S.N.M. In the record book the original entry under that number 

 has only the following : 



Number: 7367. 



Locality: Tahiti. 



Collected by: Mr. Adams. 



Number of specimens : 1. 



An examination of the specimen, mutilated exactly as described 

 by Hallowell, shows it to be a Lepfodeh'a of the annulata group, 

 the scale formula agreeing with the form described as L. aTbofusca 

 in Boulenger's Catalogue of Snakes in the British Museum (vol. 3, 

 1896, p. 95), of which Meyalops maculatus Hallowell consequently 

 is a synonym. The range of the species extends from Mexico in the 

 north to Paraguay in the south. The only place where the Rogers 

 expedition could have obtained it is Nicaragua, where extensive 

 collections were made. 



On the same page (p. 488) as Megalops maculatus Hallowell 

 described a new genus and species of snakes as Aepidea 7'ohusta with 

 the habitat Caspar Straits. This name has also remained more or 

 less an enigma, since the type specimen has not been forthcoming 

 until it was recognized in connection with the above investigation 

 and shown to be a specimen (No. 7324) which has been on the shelves 

 for many years under the name of Gonyosoma oxycephaluin with 

 the more than dubious locality " Japan " and collector " Perry 

 Exped.," derived from the original record under that number. A 

 careful comparison of this specimen with Hallowell's elaborate de- 

 scription of Aepidea rohusta^ with which it agrees in the minutest 

 details, shows that Boulenger's conclusion as to its identity was 

 correct and that the specimen is in reality Hallowell's type. An 

 examination of the original record book shows, furthermore, that the 

 correct number of this specimen should be Cat. No. 7508, U.S.N.M., 

 with the " locality " Caspar Straits and " collected by " Capt. 

 Rodgers (sic!). The transposition of the numbers was undoubt- 

 edly made at the time of the tin-tagging described above, and the 

 correct number has now been restored to the specimen. The " Caspar 

 Straits " is the strait between Banka and Billiton Islands in the 

 Malay Archipelago, throughout which the species is common. The 

 species has been reported since from Banka but not as yet from 

 Billiton. 



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