1S3 



the fifteenth caudal vrrtcbni. TV Uit imperforate obtuse bone of the tail is obviously 

 coaleatence of three vertebne. 



Pwnkued. 



681. Tin >krlftmi of a non-venomous and apparently constricting Serpent. 



It dinVrs from the true BOM in the absence of the snperorbital bonea. Hypapophyses 

 are developed in 69 anterior vertebra ; they are not present in 157 of the vertebra: bearing 

 rib* : of the remaining 63 caudal vertebrae the eleven anterior one* do not devtlopo hypapo- 

 |>hym ; they are pment in pain in moit of the rat. 



Pretexted by Sir Evcrard Home, Bart., F.JR.S. 



682. A superior maxillary bone of a large constricting Serpent ; showing its charac- 

 teristic elongated form, and the row of numerous, fixed, imperforatc teeth 

 which chiefly distinguish the non-venomous from the venomous Serpents. 



Genus Natrix. 



688. The skeleton of the common harmless Snake (Coluber natrix, Linn. ; Natrix 



futca, Cuv.). Hypapophyses exist upon all the vertebra-, of which there are 



170 abdominal and 40 caudal in the present skeleton. Ihnterion. 



684. The skeleton of the common harmless Snake (Natrix fiuca). 



The number of vertebne with articulated ribs it 1 72 ; all of thete have inferior spines. 

 The number of caudal vertebra; is 52, and the hypapophyses are bifurcate beyond the 



J/w. Smtk. 



635. Tle skeleton of the King Snake or Harlequin Snake (Coluber Hist no). 



It belongs to the hannleat or Colubrine drriaion of the Order. There are 305 rertebne, of 

 which 58 anterior ones have hypapophrses, and 157, without hrpapophjsea, rapport more- 

 able ribs : of the remainder, or caudal vertebne, 90 have hrpapophysss. 



Purckated. 



636. The skeleton of a non-venomous Colubrine Snake. 



The frontal* are longer than they are broad, but there are no tuperorbiul bonrs. Both 

 internal and external plates of the coronoid fossa are nearly equally developed. The ribs are 

 trong, and shorter than usual. The length is 6 feet 3 inches : 46 anterior vrrtebne bear 

 hvpapophysea, and, with the exception of the atlas and axis, moveable ribs : 1 55 bear move- 

 able ribs, but no hypapophyses ; and of the 97 caudal 90 have hypapophyses. 



Presented by George Bennett, &y., F.L.S. 



