726 AFRICAN REPTILES AND BATRACHIANS STEJNEGER. 



Lycognathophis seychellensis (S<iii.i:<iKi.). 



The Museum possesses 18 specimens of this species IVom theSeycliel- 

 les, of whicli 2 were collected by Col. Pike (No. 8284) and 10 by T)r. 

 Abbott (Nos. ](;723-16724; 1G732; 20419-20431) the last 13 beiiio- from 

 the Island of Malic. 



This large series demonstrates, probably, the extremes of individual 

 variation. It may therefore be useful to enumerate iudividually the 

 exceptions from the normal scutellation which may be expressed thus: 

 Anal, I; supralabials, 9; loreal, 0; postoculars, 3; temporals, 1+2. 



All the sijecimens have the normal number of temporals and supra- 

 labials (Xo. 20422 has the sixtli supralabial on the left side divided 

 horizontally). The greatest variation is in the number of postoculars, 

 Nos. 20420 and 10723 having only two postoculars on l)oth sides, while 

 No. 20429 has two on one and three on the other. More iuteiesting is 

 llie fact that one specimen lias an undivided anal (No. 10732), but most 

 so is No. 20419, which has a well-developed loreal on botli sides. 



The coloration varies greatly, as there are specimens nearly uniformly 

 colored from a liglit yellowisb to nearly black, while others have dark 

 or light spots. 



Simocephalvts chanleii, s]). nov. 



Diagnosis. — Frontal much shorter than the parietals ; three postocu- 

 lars; two labials eiileriug tlie eye; secondary keels on all the scales, 

 but no oblique striation; dorsal scale row next to the vertebral row 

 not much larger than the laterals; eye much larger than nostril. 



IlAniTAT. — Wange, Island Manda, north of Lamu, East Africa. 



Type.—l]. S. National Museum, No. 20120; Gustav Denliardt coll. 



Description. — Depth of rostral two-thirds the width, A'isible from 

 above; internasals slightly Avider than long, two-thirds th(^ length of 

 the prefrontals; frontal as long as wide, much longer than the prefront- 

 als and much shorter than the parietals; loreal as long as deep; one 

 l)reocular and three iwstoculars; temporals 1+2, the anterior large, 

 elongated, and widely separating the lifth supralabial from tlie parie- 

 tal ; seven supralabials, third and fourth in contact with the eye, seventh 

 very snuiU; live sublabials in contact with the anterior geneials which 

 are considerably larger than the posterior ones; 15 scale rows, all the 

 scales, includiug the row next to the gastrosteges, strongly keeled, the 

 latter row even showiug a secondary keel on each side, while in the 

 adjoining row there are two secon<lary keels on tiie lower half of each 

 scale; vertebral scale row with two very stroug primary keels, begin- 

 ning on the fourth scale from the parietals, and two well-marked second- 

 ary k«'els on each side; scales iu row next to the gastrosteges largest, 

 the others gradually diminishing in size toward the vertebral row, the 

 one next to the latter but slightly larger than the others; scales in 

 second row from gastrosteges not elongated, scarcely longer than wide; 

 ntme of the scales with any obli(]ue striation; color ab(»ve, including 



