390 . COLUBRID. 
234, ASPIDELAPS. 
Naja, part., Sch/eg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 461 (1837), 
Aspidelaps, Smith, Ill. Zool. 8. Afr., Rept. App. Fup: 21 (1849). 
Cyrtophis, Smith, i.e. p. 22; Giinth. Cat, OM. . 226 (1858) ; 
abe sh Reise n. Mossamb. iii. p. 189 (1882). 
art., Dum. §& Bibr. Erp. Gén. Mi 1191 ee 
Anacke Ps, ‘part., Jan, Rev. § iad Zool, 859, p- 
Maxillary extending forwards beyond the palatine, with a pair of 
large grooved poison-fangs; no other maxillary teeth; mandibular 
teeth, anterior longest. Head slightly distinct from neck ; eye 
moderate, with round or vertically elliptic pupil ; rostral shield very 
large, detached on the sides ; nostril between two or three nasals 
and the internasal; no loreal. Body cylindrical; scales oblique, 
smooth or keeled, without pits, in 19 to 23 rows; ventrals rounded. 
Tail short, obtuse; subcaudals in two rows. 
Soath Africa and Mozambique. 
1. Aspidelaps lubricus. 
ae Psat ii, pl. xxxiv. fig. 4, & pl. xliii. fig. 3 (1735); Merr. Beytr. 
Ad ahh ii. (1790). 
Natux lubrica, Laur, Syn, Rept. p. 80 (1768). 
Coluber latonia, Daud. Rept. vii. p. 156 (1803). 
Elaps lubricus, Merr, Tent. p 143 (1820); Dum. & Bir. vii. p. 1218 
(1854), 
Naia somersetta, Smith, Edinb. N. Philos. Journ. i. 1826, p. 253. 
Naja lubrica, Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 484, pl. xvii. figs. 14 & 16 
(1837). 
Aspidelaps lubricus, Smith, Ill. Zool. S. Afr., Rept. App. p. 21 
(1849); Jan, Icon. Gén. 44, pl. vi. fig. 2 (1873); Boettg. Abh, Nat. 
Ges. Niirnberg, viii. 1891, p. 93. 
Ome a 88 scutatus, Giinth. ‘Cat. p. 227 (1858), and Proc. Zool. Soe. 
Rostral as deep as broad, one third the width of the head, forming 
a right or acute angle above; internasals much longer than the 
prefrontals ; frontal once and one third to once and two thirds as 
long as broad, shorter than its distance from the end of the snout, 
shorter than the parietals; internasal and posterior nasal in contact 
with the single preocular; two or three postoculars; temporals 
2+2 or 3, lower anterior very large and reaching or nearly reaching 
the mouth; six (rarely seven) upper labials, third and fourth 
entering the eye ; three or four lower labials in contact with the 
anterior chin-shields, which are as long as or longer than the pos- 
terior. Scales smooth, in 19 (or 21) rows. Ventrals 146-167; 
anal entire; subcaudals 20-28. Whitish (orange or red in life), 
with black annuli which are slightly angular on the back ; a black 
bar below the eye ; sometimes a black cross-bar between ‘the eyes 
and an oblique band on the temple; upper surface of head some- 
times entirely black. 
Total length 590 millim. ; tail 55. 
Cape Colony and Great Namaqualand, 
