in the Collection of the British Museum. 25 



be removed from the Australian genera Furina and Brachysoma, 

 which have a series of small teeth behind the fang. 



Teleuraspis nummifera. PI. III. fig. C. 



Atropos nummifer, Riipp. Verzeiclra. Senckenb. Mus., Rept. p. 21. 



mexicanus, Dum. & Bibr. vii. p. 1521, pi. 83 bis. 



Teleuraspis nummifer. Cope, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1859, p. 339. 

 Bothriechis mexicanus, Cope, /. c. 1861, p. 294. 



RUppell first noticed this snake: " Head that of a viper ; a 

 depression between the eye and nostril, as in Trigonocephalus ; 

 subcaudals entire, as in Echis ; the anterior mandibulary teeth 

 rather long. Perhaps it is merely a young Crotalus with the 

 rattle not developed. Habitat unknown." 



It being impossible to recognize the species or even the genus 

 from this description, Dumeril describes it for the second time 

 as new, erroneously referring it to a genus " a urosteges doubles, 

 et k surciliaires nulles" (p. 1370). In the figure the subcaudals 

 are correctly represented as simple, and the supraorbitals are 

 present ; but, being drawn from a young individual, the figure 

 is rather indifferent. 



Cope is quite right in considering the snakes described by 

 Riippell and Dumeril as identical, and refers them to his genus 

 Teleuraspis. 



Messrs. Salvin and Godman have collected splendid specimens 

 in Lower Vera Paz. The species attains to a length of thirty 

 inches. 



The figure represents the head, of the natural size. 



Fam. Viperidae. 



POECILOSTOLUS. 



Head thick, broad, covered above with strongly keeled scales ; 

 body compressed ; tail prehensile. Subcaudal shields entire. 



This genus diiFers from Echis in its compressed body, prehen- 

 sile tail, and bright colours. Whilst Echis is confined to dry, 

 sandy plains, Poscilostolus inhabits trees or bushes. Vipera 

 chloro'echis, Schleg., probably belongs to the same genus. 



Pcecilostolus Burtonii. 



Scales strongly keeled, in nineteen rows ; upper labials nine, 

 none of which enter the orbit. Rostral shield very low, linear, 

 with other scale-like shields above. Entirely bright yellow; 

 single scales green. 



This beautiful species was discovered by Major Burton, in the 

 Camaroon country. It appears to be very scarce, as only one 

 specimen, 14 inches long, has been found. We intend to give 

 a figure of it in the * Proceedings of the Zoological Society/ 



