ART. 17 EAST AFEICAN VERTEBRATES LOVERIDGE 55 



South African name of red-lipped snake for this species is somewhat 

 of a misnomer for East African specimens, as the Ups are white in 

 every individual I have seen. In the larger example there are three 

 (not four) chin shields followed by the transversely enlarged ventrals; 

 in the smaller snake many of these ventrals are divided; as a result 

 there are seven pairs of chin or gular shields in this region. The 

 latter specimen has eight labials (3d, 4th, and 5th enter eye) on the 

 left side and nine on the right (4th, 5th, and 6th enter eye). 



AMPLORHINUS NOTOTAENIA (Guenther) 



One found on the threshold of the kitchen at Dodoma had prob- 

 ably been introduced in firewood. Length H. and B. 300 mm., tail 

 101 mm., Sc. 17, V. 170, A. 2, C. 75, L. 8 (4th and 5th enter eye). 



RHAMPHIOPHIS OXYRHYNCHUS (Reinhardt) 

 SHARP-NOSED SNAKE 



Native names. — Swaga (Chigogo) ; Simbi or Nzimbi (Kinyamwezi) ; 

 Msanga (Kikami). 



A very common species; about 20 were caught around Dodoma 

 and 40 brought from Shiny anga. 



Gurukezi states that the Wayeye only consider its bite slightly 

 poisonous. Fed well on frogs (Rana mascareniensis) while in captiv- 

 ity. One laid 10 eggs between August 28 and 31 ; one of these meas- 

 ured 34 by 22 mm. 



PSAMMOPHIS SIBILANS (Linnaeus) 



KISSING SAND SNAKE 



Native names. — Nyamkando (Chigogo) ; Yamuwe (Kinyamwezi). 



A big series from Shinyanga subdistrict; none seen or brought in 

 at Dodoma. Gurukezi, who seemed decidedly afraid of its teeth, said 

 they bite freely when caught, and for the bite of the "nyulsenga," as 

 they sometimes called it, they apply the leaves of the "lusenga" 

 tree. 



PSAMMOPHIS SUBTAENIATUS Peters 



STRIPE-BELLIED SAND SNAKE 



Native names. — Mlalu (Chigogo); Sangaraza (KiswahiU); Sanga- 

 raza (Kikami); Iruwassi (Kinyamwezi). 



The Wayeye snake catchers appUed two other Kinyamwezi names 

 to this species, calling the pale type, so common in the Dodoma 

 thorn bush, "mbalama" and the dark form "nyalwmzi"; a large 

 series of the latter were obtained in the Shinyanga subdistrict; its 

 plumbeous hue is strikingly different from that of the sandy-colored 

 type. The latter may be seen on the embankments flanking the 

 the railway between Dodoma and Nzingi. 



