SNAKES. 



157 



and fifth touching the eye (two lower orbitals). Light brown, 

 iridescent, punctulated with black ; on the anterior part of back 

 some more or less conspicuous black cross bands. No longitu- 

 dinal line. 



a. Adult. Gaboon. From Mr. Cuming's Collection. 



b. Adult. Fantee (Africa). 



c. Adult : bad state. Ashantee. 



d. Adult. Africa. Niger Expedition. 



e. Adult. West Africa. From Mr. Rich's Collection. 



f. Adult. West Africa. Only one loreal. 



g. Adult : injured. West Africa. 



h. Half-grown : discoloured. West Africa. From the Haslar 

 Collection. 



4. Dryiophis tropidococcyx. 



Body and tail rather stout, muzzle not much elongated. Scales 

 smooth, only those on the coccygeal region strongly keeled, those 

 on the vertebral line not larger ; upper labials eight, the third 

 and fourth touching the eye (two lower orbitals); loreal none; 

 rostral far produced backwards. Brownish green (without epi- 

 dermis, green) ; a whitish line at the edges of abdomen. 



a. Adult. Madras. Presented by J. C. Jerdon, Esq. 



b-f. Adult and half-grown. India. Presented by Sir J. Mac- 



Gregor. 

 g-i. Adult and half-grown. East Indies. From the Zoological 

 Society's Collection. 

 Description. — This particular species, having the habit and 

 tbe physiognomy of Psmmnophis, but provided with the system 

 of coloration and with the pupil of Dryiophis, forms a connecting 

 link between both genera. As to the dentition, it quite agrees 

 with other species of Dryiophis, having about the fifth of the 

 anterior maxillary teeth longer and larger than the rest. (Dumeril 

 is wron» in describing, in his family of Oxycephalies, these teeth 

 as equal.) The scales have some important peculiarities : there 

 is, as in Psammophis, no vertebral row of larger scales; those 

 on the sides are not very much elongated or imbricate ; they are 

 smooth, except some above the anus (the coccygeal region of 

 higher animals), which are provided with rather strong keels. 

 Rostral shield produced behind to the surface of head, and 

 pointed behind ; anterior frontals small and bent to the sides, 

 replacing a posterior nasal shield and touching the second upper 

 labial ; posterior frontals large, rounded behind, bent on the side, 

 replacing a loreal shield and touching the same labial ; anterior 

 ocular single, large, touching the vertebral, deeply grooved 

 before the eye, and with the superciliary far projecting over the 



