Dr. 0. VVucherer on Ophidians jrom Bahia. 181 



half of upper labials and body beneath yellowish ; belly and tail 

 beneath with transverse black streaks, some of which do not reach 

 across (chequered as in Liophis). 



Length of cleft of mouth |- inch, breadth of head -f inch ; length 

 of tail 5i inches ; total length 22 inches. 



The specimen described is in the collection of the British Museum. 



This Snake is not very rare in the moist valleys in and about the 

 city of Bahia. 



Of the family Boidce some of the most formidable members occur 

 here, as in other parts of Brazil. 



1 . Epicrates cenchria, 



2. Xiphosoma caninum, 



3. Boa constrictor, and 



4. Eunectes murinus have been noticed by me. The most common 

 species in Bahia appears to be Eunectes murinus. It is the "Sucu- 

 rujaba " of the natives, and is very frequently seen in close proximity 

 to the town of Bahia, but very large specimens are here but seldom 

 found. On the borders of the S. Francisco river they attain an 

 enormous size. I should rather think that it must have been this 

 snake, and not the Boa constrictor, which Dr. Gardner in his * Travels 

 in Brazil ' mentions as having swallowed a horse. The Boa does not 

 grow so large by far. Eunectes murinus seems to possess an extra- 

 ordinary capability of fasting : a friend of mine kept the largest spe- 

 cimen I ever saw in close confinement for three years; and it was 

 never known to swallow anything during this whole period. It died 

 much emaciated. 



The first species of the family of Calamaj-iidee which I have met 

 with is new, and I conclude this first part of the paper with a de- 

 scription of it : — 



GeOPHIS GiJNTHERI. 



Diagnosis. — Upper labials seven, the third and fourth coming into 

 the orbit ; a single pair of chin-shields. Dirty-orange, with a lon- 

 gitudinal jet-black band from the occiput to the end of the tail. 



Description. — Total length \2^ inches; length of tail l|^inch; 

 head indistinct, depressed. Body almost cylindrical ; tail cylindrical, 

 tapering. Cleft of mouth short ; eyes moderate. Rostral shield 

 broad, just reaching the surface of the head ; two pairs of frontals, the 

 anterior pair in direct contact with the rostral ; the posterior frontals 

 reaching the orbits ; vertical almost regularly triangular ; super- 

 ciliaries moderate, occipitals rather large and elongate, slightly forked 

 behind. Nasal pierced by the nostril. Loreal none. Anterior 

 ocular elongate, not touching the supraorbital. Two posterior ocu- 

 lars sometimes confluent into one. Seven upper labials, the third 

 and fourth reaching the orbit, the sLx.th and seventh largest ; two 

 temporals on the side of the occipital, the anterior one touching 

 both posterior oculars. Series of maxillary teeth short, the hinder 

 longest, not grooved. Ground-colour dirty orange; crown blackish. 

 From the occiput to the tip of the tail a longitudinal jet-black streak 

 with sharply defined edges, forked just behind the occiput into two 



