Genus Heterolepis, Smith. 345 



which was only known to him from Smith's desciiption and 

 figure. The hitter is probably incorrect ; it is at any rate in 

 contradiction with the text, in which the number of labials is 

 stated to be seven, as in H. Gueinzii and the specimen from 

 Delagoa Bay. The difference in the number of ventral shields 

 (241, Smith ; 203, Peters) and subcaudals ((31, Smith ; 51, 

 Peters) cannot be regarded as outside the limit of variation 

 which we may expect in any snake*. And I agree with 

 Dr. Mocquard in suspecting the middle dorsal keel described 

 and figured by Peters to be due to the projection of the neural 

 spines. Smith gives as the habitat of liis H. capensis " the 

 eastern districts of the Cape Colony." The same species is 

 recorded by Peters (Mon. Berl. Ac. 1876, p. 119) from the 

 Ogovve, whence it has also been received by the Paris 

 Museum, for I regard Mocquard's H. Savorgnani as a H. 

 capensis in which the upper postocular has become fused with 

 the supraocular. The specimen figured by Mocquard further 

 agrees with the Delagoa-Bay specimen in the manner in 

 which the enlarged vertebral scales begin on the occiput. 



Perusal of Dr. Mocquard's paper on Heterolepis (Bull. Soc. 

 Philom. 7, xi. 1887, p. 5) further suggests to me a few 

 remarks : — 



1, Si/uocephalus Gi'antii, Gthr., is not a Heterolejn's. It 

 differs in not having the maxillary and dentary bones angu- 

 larly bent inwards anteriorly, in its subequal teeth, the ante- 

 rior being but slightly longer than the posterior, the presence 

 of apical scale-pits, and the absence of ventral keels. Although 

 it has a prgeocular distinct from the loreal and only 15 rows of 

 scales (19 on the neck), I feel disposed to refer it to Moc- 

 quard's genus Gonyonotiis (Bull. Soc. Philom. 8, i. 1889, 

 p. 146). The two species differ as follows : — 



G. Brussauxi, Mocq. — Loreal and prefrontal entering 

 the eye ; temporals 2 + 2; eight upper labials, fourth 

 and hfth entering the eye. Scales strongly keeled, in 

 21 rows. 



G. Graniit, Gthr. — A loreal and a prteocular ; temporals 

 1 + 2 ; seven upper labials, third and fourth entering 

 the eye. Scales rather feebly keeled, in 15 rows. 



2. Heterolejns glaber, Jan, also belongs to a different 

 genus, Hornionotus, Hallow., distinguished from Heterolepis 

 by the large eye, the compressed body, and the smooth scales. 

 The synonymy of the unique species is as follows : — 



* The specimen from Delagoa Bay has onl}^ 45 subcaudals. 



