OPHIDIA. 



GENUS SABRINA, GIRAKD. 



CAR. GEN. Capite depresso, subovato. Scuto rostmll sub rostro recur- 

 vato. Nare inter scutum nasalem et frontonasalem sita. Scuti alii 

 sunt: praeocularis seu postnasalis, frontalis, 'postoculo-labialis, parie- 

 talis, et postparietalis. 



GEN. CHAR. Head depressed, subovoid. Rostral plate extending 

 under the snout ; one nasal and one fronto-nasal : nostril between 

 them. A preocular or postnasal plate. A frontal. A postoculo- 

 labial. A parietal, and a postparietal. 



SYN. Sabrina, GRD. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sei. Philad. August, 1857. 



OBSERY. This is one of the so-called worm snakes, Scolecophides, 

 or vermiform ophidians, and the only one in the collection of the 

 United States Exploring Expedition. It is the same as was observed 

 by Tschudi, a brief account of which is given in the "Fauna Peruana" 

 of the same author. 



The Scolecophides have been divided into two families by Dumeril 

 and Bibron, the Typhlopians and the Catodonians. Tschudi referred 

 his species to the former, and, according to our own observations, it is 

 to enter the latter, since we found the teeth upon the lower jaw instead 

 of the upper. 



At the same time, we had to frame a new genus, distinct at the 

 same time from Catodon and Stenostoma, the only two, so far known, 

 of that group. 



SABRINA TESSELLATA, Grd. 

 (Plate XV, fig. 7-9.) 



SPEC. CHAR. Middle of scales blackish-brown, with a lighter margin 

 increasing in width beneath. Tip of tail whitish. 



SYN. TypUops tessellatum, TSCH. Faun. Peruan. Herp. 1845, 46. 

 Sabrina tessellata, GRD. in Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. August, 1857. 



