8. LEPIDOSTERNON. 4G5 



posterior angle wedged in between a pair of large elongate pentago- 

 nal parietals ; oceipitals very small ; eye distinct through the ocular ; 

 an infraocular, a pra^ocular, and a supraocular ; latter large, elongate ; 

 four temporals, upper very large ; three upper labials, first small, 

 second large, third very small ; mental very small, four-sided, as 

 long as, or longer than broad, followed by a large median chin- 

 shield, which is separated from the labials by a pair of narrow lateral 

 chin-shields on each side ; another lateral chin-shield on each side, 

 on a line with the third infralabial; infralabials three, first very 

 small, second large. Two hundred and eighty-six to two hundred 

 and ninety-five annuli on the body and seventeen on tho tail ; an 

 annulus on the middle of the body contains twenty-six to thirty 

 dorsal and twenty-four or twenty-six ventral segments. Pectoral 

 shields small, numerous, longer than broad, forming oblique series. 

 Anal segments in two rows, slightly enlarged. Lateral, vertebral, and 

 ventral lines distinct. Colourless or pale brownish above. 



millim. 



Length to vent 340 



Tail 17 



Diameter of body 9 



Brazil. 



a. Ad. (Annuli 295 + 17). Recife, Pernambuco. W. A. Forbes, Esq. [P.]. 



b. Ad. (A. 286-1-17). S. America. Sir A. Smith [P.]. 



(Type of L. (jrayi.) 



c. Ad., escaping from the side of the body on an Elaps lemniscatus. 



Specimen with anomalous head-shields. See P. Z. S. 1885, p. 327. 



8. Lepidosternon crassum. 

 Lepidosternon crassum, Strauch, Mel. Biol. Ac. St. Petersb. xi. p. 443. 



Head as in L. microcsphalum, but shorter. Rostral rather largo, 

 in contact with the anterior angle of the frontal ; prsefrontals large, 

 broader than long, separated by the frontal ; latter large, penta- 

 gonal, a little broader than long, with a deep median groove, con- 

 tinued from the rostral ; a pair of parietals, quadrangular, somewhat 

 broader than long, followed by a pair of small broad oceipitals ; eye 

 feebly distinct through tho ocular ; supraocular imperfectly separated 

 from the frontal, rather small, square ; three temporals, the upper 

 nearly as large as the two others together ; two upper labials, first 

 very large, second small. Mental scpiaro, as long as broad, a])pa- 

 rently soldered with the anterior chin-shield ; a lateral chin-shield 

 on each side ; two lower labials, first very large, second very smaU. 

 Body remarkably thick ; two hundred and twelve annuli on the body 

 and fifteen on the tail; an annulus contains twenty-tA^o dorsal and 

 twenty ventral segments, those on the middle of the belly a little 

 broader than long ; i)Cctoral shields rather irregular, numbering 

 about eight, elongate, some, however, divided transversely into two or 

 three, otliers confluent with those on the sides ; seven anal segments ; 

 vertebral and lateral lines strongly, ventral feebly marked. Liglit 



VOL. II. 2 H 



