SIBON SNAKE. 507 



rate size, longish, and large-scaled : tail long, gra- 

 dually tapering to a point : native of South Ame- 

 rica. In Seba's specimen, referred to by Linnaeus, 

 a narrow red line divides the sides from the ab- 

 domen. 



SIBON SNAKE. 



Coluber Sibon. C.ferrugineus albo nebulatus.j corpore subcom- 



presso. 

 Ferruginous Snake, clouded with white, with subcompressed 



body. 



Coluber Sibon. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 383. 



Serpens Africana ab Hottentottis Sibon dicta. Seb. 1. 1. 14-. f. 4x 

 Abdominal scuta 180, subcaudal scales 85. 



SOMEWHAT allied in general appearance to the 

 Coluber nebulatus, but rather shorter in propor- 

 tion : body laterally compressed : head short, 

 flattish, and considerably larger than the neck, 

 pale, and speckled with brown : remainder of the 

 upper parts ferruginous clouded with white : ab- 

 domen pale clouded with brown : tail of moderate 

 length, gradually tapering to the tip : the speci- 

 men figured in Seba, and referred to by Linnaeus, 

 is described as of brighter colours, the ground- 

 colour being yellowish, and the variegations ru- 

 fous and brown. I cannot forbear expressing 

 some suspicion that this snake and the nebulatus 

 may in reality be the same species : at all events, 

 if they are not, they afford a very striking proof 

 of the inefficacy of the Linnasan specific characters 

 attempted from the number of scuta and squamse. 



