SS ae | 
OE tae a a 8 se 
ET ARE EN SE VR 
in the Collection of the British Museum 129 
lighter spots. Lower parts of the head and cach of the 50 
anterior ventral shields with one, two, or three triangular black 
spots ; the posterior ventrals and the subcaudals being uniform 
brown. 
This is a West Indian Snake; but from what island, we cannot 
say. It is readily distinguished by the shields of thehead. D. 
antillensis and D. rufodorsatus have six pairs of lower labials in 
contact with the chin-shields, 
Ruamnoputs (Dendrophide). 
_ Scales smooth, with a single groove at the apex, those of the 
vertebral and outer series very large, the others very narrow ; 
ventral shields slightly keeled. Eyes very large. Posterior 
maxillary teeth very large and compressed. 
Rhamnophis ethiopissa. Plate X. 
Scales in 17 rows, those of the vertebral series elongate, irre- 
gularly six-sided. Head thick, snout as long as the eye; shields 
of the head regular; posterior frontals not much larger than 
the anterior; vertical large, broad anteriorly, tapering behind ; 
occipitals rounded, not much longer than vertical. Nasal divided, 
loreal oblong ; anterior ocular high, in contact with the vertical ; 
two narrow posterior oculars ; eight upper labials, the fourth and 
fifth entering the orbit ; one large temporal, in contact with both 
oculars ; two scales, larger than the others on the neck, behind 
the temporal ; three pairs of chin-shields, the middle twice the 
size of the anterior, the hind pair divergent. Ventrals 175; anal 
bifid ; subcaudals 152. 
Bluish green, iridescent, each scale with a black margin; the 
green passes into yellow on the tail, and forms there narrow lines 
along the series of scales. ‘Two blackish spots on the occiput, 
and a black line through the eye. 
Length of head nine lines, of trunk 24 inches, of tail 12 inches, 
West Africa. 
Diemansia cucullata. 
Scales in thirteen rows ; upper labials six, the third and fourth 
forming the lower edge of the orbit, the second labial in contact 
with the posterior frontal; rostral broad, low, very obtuse 
superiorly ; shields of the head regular, all more or less rounded 
posteriorly and slightly imbricate ; vertical twice as long as broad ; 
one anterior and two posterior oculars ; one temporal is in con- 
tact with the lower ocular, four or five scale-like temporals behind. 
176 ventrals, 1 bifid anal, 47 subcaudals. 
- Brownish black, belly marbled with a lighter tint; the snout and 
the lateral parts of the head are greyish, punctulated with black ;. 
Ann. § May. N, Hist. Ser. 3, Vol, ix. 9 
