Snakes in the Museums of Lund and Malino. 283 



on the lowfii" side of fclie thigh. Dark olive above, spotted or 

 marbled with darker and lighter ; limbs with broad dark and 

 narrow light cross-bars ; lower parts dirty white. 



From snout to vent 53 mm. 



Several specimens from Efulen, South Cameroon, collected 

 by Mr. G. L. Bates. 



Bulua aJbiventris. 



Series of vomerine teeth nearly straight, widely separated 

 in the middle, and not extending outwards beyond the choanai. 

 Head much depressed, broader than long ; snout sliort, 

 rounded ; no canthus rostralis ; eye moderate ; interorbital 

 region about once and a half as broad as the upper eyelid ; 

 tympanum very indistinct, its diameter about half that of the 

 eye. Fingers short, with slightly swollen tips, first and 

 second equal; toes moderate, the tips dilated into small 

 disks ; subarticular and inner metatarsal tubercles feebly 

 prominent. The tibio-tarsal articulation reaches the posterior 

 border of the eye. Skin smooth. Dark brown or black 

 above, with small round white spots on tiie sides ; hind limb 

 with light spots or marblings ; lower parts white, throat 

 sometimes marbled with brown. 



From snout to vent 25 mm. 



Three specimens from Efulen, South Cameroon, collected 

 by Mr. G. L. Bates. 



XXXIT. — Eemarlcs on Mr. N. Rosen's List of the Snakes 

 in the Zoological Museums of Lund and Alalm'd. By 

 G. A. BOULENGEE, F.R.S. 



The naming of snakes from descriptions is a difficult task 

 for beginners, wlio should not be encouraged to publish 

 descriptions of so-called new species, which only go to swell 

 the synonymy. There is no book in existence by the aid of 

 which the difficulties connected with the study of the den- 

 tition can be entirely overcome, and I doubt whether sucli a 

 book will ever be written. I have done my best to supply a 

 guide to the determination of snakes (' Catalogue of Snakes 

 in the British Museum,' 1893-181)6), and that it does not 

 work in the hands of some students, as evidenced by 

 ]\Ir. Rosen's paj)er published in the last number of these 

 'Annals/ 1 deeply regret. 



20* 



