266 Dr. A. Giinther on Reptiles and Fishes 



Professor Bocage refers his specimens from Fernando Po 

 also to D. assimtlis, whilst, singularly enough, I have now- 

 some evidence that the type of D. unicolor came from the 

 same island, as 1 received some years ago a specimen from 

 Fernando Po which is identical with D. unicolor. There- 

 fore, as far as our present experience goes, both D. unicolor 

 and assimtlis (if they are really distinct) would seem to occur 

 in Fernando Po, while the former does not extend on to the 

 mainland. 



Atheris anisolepis. 



Athens anisolepis, Mocquard, Bull. Soc. Philom. 1887, p. 90. 

 Atheris Iceviceps, Boettger, Zool. Anz. x. p. 651 ; Ber. Senckenb. Ges. 

 1888, p. 92, tab. ii. fig. 7 (head). 



An adult specimen from Lambarene. The specimens from 

 which Boettger took his description came from Banana (Congo 

 delta). The principal distinctive characters of this species 

 are, in my opinion, the number and size of scales and the 

 two series of suboculars, rather than the degree of carination 

 of some of the scales on the crown of the head, which depends 

 on age. 



Thanks to the kindness of Professor L. Vaillant and 

 Dr. Jentink I have been able, by a re-examination of the 

 typical specimens described by Schlegel and Mocquard, to 

 form a definite opinion as to the species of Atheris which 

 deserve recognition. They are the following : — 



1. A. yquamigera, Hallowell, = ^4. snbocularis, Fisch., 



probably = A. Burtonii, Gthr. With 17 (in A. Bur- 

 ton it with 19) series of scales; only one row of 

 minute subocular scales (exceptionally partly con- 

 fluent with upper labials). 



2. A. anisolepis, Mocquard (1887), = A. Iceviceps , 



Boettger (1887), = A. chloroechis, Boettg., part. 

 With 22-25 series of scales ; two rows of minute 

 suboculars, the lower row sometimes incomplete, 

 but always indicated by several scales. 



o. A. chloroechis, Sehleg., = ^4. polylepis, Ptrs. Witli 

 31—36 series of scales and with a double row of 

 suboculars. 



4. A. ceratophora, W 



erner. 



Rana crassipes, Buchh. & Ptrs. 

 One young specimen from Glass, Gaboon estuary. 



