

REPTILIA. 269 



Sp. Homalopsis herpeton SCHLEG., Herpeton tentaculatiim LAC. Ann. du, Mus. 

 n. PI. 50, GUERIN Iconogr., Rept. PI. -20. fig. 3, SCHLEGEL Alb. Tab. 16. 



Erythrolamprus F. BOIE, WAGL. (Species of Coronella SCHL.) 

 Head narrow, not distinct from trunk, with snout obtuse, short. 

 Eyes moderate, with anterior ocular scute single, posterior ocular 

 scutes two. Teeth small, numerous, equal, except the posterior 

 upper tooth. Scales smooth. Tail short, acuminate at the ex- 

 tremity. 



Sp. Erythrolamprus agilis WAGL., Coluber agilis (and Coluber JEsculapii) L., 

 Mus. Ad. Frid. PI. ii. fig. 2, PI. ai, fig. i, SEBA Thes. n. Tab. 18, fig. 4, 

 MERREM Beytr. I. Tab. v. Surinam. Erythrolamprus venustissimus WAGL., 

 Coluber venustissimus MAXIM. Pr. v. WIED, Lief. I. Tab. vi. and Lief. vn. 

 Tab. i, var. ; Brasil. Bright coloured snakes, with white, black and red 

 rings, marked almost like the Elaps corallinus (see above, p. 264), which 

 lives in the same countries, with which it may be easily confounded on 

 superficial examination, but may at once be distinguished by the much 

 larger eyes. 



Note. To this division also are to be referred Elapomorphus 

 WIEG., DUM., BIBR., Homalocranion and Stenorhina DUM., BIBR. 

 Scytale BOIE, DUM., BIBR. ; and some other genera of those authors 

 comprehend species with nearly equal teeth, and are placed by 

 SCHLEGEL chiefly in his comprehensive genus Lycodon (Dun. and 

 BIBR. VIL 2, p. 988 1046). It requires further investigation to 

 determine whether Scytale coronata MERR., MAXIM. Prinz zu WIED, 

 Abb. Lief. vn. (with undivided subcaudal plates) be really distinct 

 from Coluber Clelia DAUD., which is placed in a distinct genus, 

 Deiropeda FITZINGER, Brachyruton DUM., BIBR., although SCHLEGEL 

 considers both as varieties of the same species. 



B. Without any sulcated tooth (Stereodontes s. Aglyphodontes 

 DUM., BIBR.) 



Family IX. Colubrina. Spurs (rudiments of posterior ex- 

 tremities) none. Head scutate. Tail covered below with paired 

 scutes. 



LINNAEUS united all the serpents that have divided scutes, as 

 they are called, on the under surface of the tail, or better two 

 rows of scutes, in a single genus which he named Coluber. After 

 the poisonous serpents ( Viper a, Naja, Elaps, &c.) and those which 

 have a grooved posterior tooth in the upper jaw have been sepa- 

 rated from them, there still remain very many species which 



