THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



[THIRD SERIES.] 

 No. 21. SEPTEMBER 1859. 



XVI. — Description of a new Genus of West African Snakes, and 

 Revision of the South American Elaps. By Dr. Albert 



GuNTHER. 



[With a Plate.] 



The publication of the description of the following interesting 

 Snake has been delayed in consequence of the author having 

 some knowledge of another West African Snake, besides Atract- 

 aspis irregularis, with entire subcaudal plates and without loreal 

 shield, described in a MS. said to be ready for publication. This 

 snake, however, has proved to belong to the venomous tribe*, 

 and to be widely different from that in the Collection of the 

 British Museum. The latter is to be referred to the family 

 Calamaridse, along with Aspidura and Haplocercus. 



Elapops, n. g. 



Body and tail moderately elongate, the latter tapering; two 

 pairs of frontals, two nasals, nostril between ; loreal none, united 

 with the posterior nasal ; one anterior and one postei-ior ocular. 

 Scales smooth, in fifteen rows; anal and subcaudals entire. 

 Teeth equal, smooth. 



Elapops modestus, n. sp. (PI. IV. fig. C.) 



Seven upper labial shields. Uniform greyish olive; beneath, 

 yellowish olive. 



This snake has quite the physiognomy of an Elaps. The 

 rostral is rather small, and terminates above in an obtuse angle, 

 not extending on the upper surface of the head. The anterior 

 frontals are irregularly quadrangular, half the size of the poste- 

 rior ones, which extend somewhat on to the loreal region. The 



* Polemon Barlhii, Revue et Mag. Zool. 1858, December, p. 525; and 

 1859, pi. 5. 



Ann. $ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol. iv. 11 



