96 COLUBRID^. 



thirds to twice as long as deep ; one prseocular, not in contact with 

 the frontal ; two postoculars ; temporals 1 + 1 ; eight or nine upper 

 labials, fourth, fifth, and sixth (exceptionally third, fourth, and fifth) 

 entering the eye ; five or six lower labials in contact with the 

 anterior chin-shields, which are shorter than the posterior. Scales 

 in 15 rows. Ventrals with feeble lateral keel, 175190 ; aual 

 divided ; subcaudals 115-135. Green above, yellowish beneath. 



Total length 650 millim. ; tail 210. 



Tropical Africa. 



a. $ (V. 182; 0. 117). W. Africa? (Type.) 



b. 4 (V. 178; C. 128). Lagos. Dr. A. Giinther [P.]. 



c. J (V. 186; C. 134). Lagos. 



d. $ (V. 180; C. 124). Lower Congo. M. A. Linden [C.]. 



(Type of A. gracillima.) 



e. c? (V. 181 ; C. ? ). Angola. Prof. B. du Bocage 



/. $ (V. 188; C. 123). Coast of Zanzibar. 



8. Chlorophis irregularis. 



? Coluber cserulesceus, Daud. Kept. vii. p. 54 (1803). 



Coluber irregularis, Leach, in Botcdich, Miss. Ashantee, p. 494 (1819). 



Dendrophis (Philothamnus) albo-variata, Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr., 



Kept. pi. Ixv. & pi. Ixiv. tig. 3 (1840). 

 chenonii, Reinh. Fid. Selsk. Skrift. x. 1843. p. 246, pi. i. 



figs. 13 & 14. 

 Leptophis chenonii, Bum. fyBibr. vii. p. 545 (1854) ; A. Dum. Arch. 



du Mu*. x. 1800, p. 199; Jan, Icon. G6n. 60, pi. i. fig. 2 (1881). 

 Aheetulla irregularis, part., Giinth. Cat. p. 152 (1858), and Ann. $ 



Mag. A 7 . H. (3) xi. 1803, p. 285. 

 Philothamnus irregulnris, var. longifrenatus, Buchh. 8f Peters, Mon. 



Berl. Ac. 1875, p. 199. 

 irregularis, Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1877, p. G15; Bocage, Jorn. 



Sc. Lisb. ix. 1882, p. 4, fig. ; Boettff. Ber. Senck. Ges. 1888, p. 61. 

 Ahaetulla shirana, Giinth. Ann. $ May. N. H. (6) i. 1888, p. 326. 

 Chlorophis irregularis, Bouleny. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1891, p. 306. 

 Philothamnus guentheri, Pfeffer, Jahrb. Hamb. Wiss. Anst. x. 1893, 



p, 85, pi. i. figs. 3-5. 



Rostral broader than deep, the portion visible from above mea- 

 suring one fourth to one third its distance from the frontal : inter- 

 nasals as long as or a little shorter than the praefrontals ; frontal 

 with concave lateral borders, once and one third to once and a half 

 as long as broad, as long as or a little longer than its distance from 

 the end of the snout, slightly shorter than the parietals ; loreal once 

 and a half to twice and a half as long as deep (rarely absent) ; one 

 pncocular, in contact with or narrowly separated from the frontal ; 

 two (rarely three) postoculars; temporals usually 1 + 2, sometimes 

 1 + 1 or 2-f-2; nine upper labials, fourth, fifth, and sixth entering 

 the eye ; five lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, 

 which are shorter than the posterior. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 

 with moderately marked lateral keel, 150-182 ; anal divided (rarely 

 entire); uubcaudals 94-133. Green or olive above, scales often 



