tieio >Sntkt;s in the British Museum. i^ili 



broad, obtusely pointed, without spine. 18 scales round the 

 body. Colourless. 



Total length 120 mm. 



Several specimens from Bitye, S. Cameroon, received from 

 Mr. C. L. IJnt.'S. 



Allied to T. minis, Jan, from Ceylon. 



Opisthotropis maxwelJi. 



Snout short and broad, much depressed, not projecting. 

 Roslral twice as broad as deep, just visible from above ; 

 iiiternasals twice as long as broad ; nasal cleft extending 

 from the nostril to the first labial ; a single prajfrontal ; 

 frontal large, as broad as long, a little more than twice as 

 broad as the supraocular, much shorter than the parietals ; 

 loical longer than deep ; two pra3- and two postoculars ; 

 a very elongate anterior temporal ; seven uj)per labials, fifth 

 entering the eye, seventh very long ; anterior chin-shields a 

 little larger than the posterior, in contact with five lower 

 labials. Scales in 17 rows, smooth on the nape, feebly 

 keeled on the body, rather strongly keeled towards the tail. 

 Ventrals 151 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 5G. Blackijii 

 above, yellow beneath. 



Total length 305 mm. 



A single female specimen from South Fokien, China, 

 presented by Mr. J. Preston Maxwell. 



Closely allied to 0. atra, Gthr., stated to be from West 

 Africa (habilat very doubtful). Distinguished by the longer 

 internasal.s, two prreoculars instead of one, and the shorter 

 body. 



Contia africana. 



Rostral nuicb broader than deep, just visible from above ; 

 suture between the internasals a little shorter than that 

 between the prnefrontals ; nasal undivided; frontal twice as 

 long as broad, not much broader than the supraocular, longer 

 than its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the 

 paiictals ; loreal small, longer than deep; one prreocular ; 

 two postoculars ; temporals 1 + 1 ; seven up[)er labials, third 

 and fourth entering the eye; four lower labials in contact 

 wiih the anterior chin-shields, which are longer than, the 

 posterior and in contact with each other in front. Scales 

 smooth, in 15 rows. Ventrals 162 ; anal divided ; subcaudals 

 ()9. Greyish brown above, with dark brown spots, the 

 largest of whicli form two alternating series on the anterior 



