THE SOLID-TOOTHED SNAKES. 85 



Colour — Brown, purplish or olive above ; sides of head speckled or 



venniculate with whitish. 

 Varieties — 



A. Brown or dark purple above, the lateral scales tipped with whitish ; 



lower parts whitish. 



B. Dark purplish brown above and below, lateral scales and vcntrals 



with a whitish edge ; throat white (Port Elizabeth). 



C. Dark grey above, the scales edged with blackish ; two series of black 



spots along the back, the anterior confluent into crossbars ; throat 

 white ; ventrals and sub-caudals blackish-brown, edged with whitish. 



Average length — i foot 6 inches. 



Distribution — Eastern Province of Cape Colony ; O. F. S., Transvaal ; 

 Southern Rhodesia ; Natal ; Zululand ; Delagoa Bay, and 

 northwards to Tropical Africa. (Moist, damp localities among 

 dead leaves, and under decaying logs.) 

 2. Lycophidium semiannulis. Northern Wolf Snake or Steel Snake. 



Colour — Greyish blue or purplish above, with irregular black cross- 

 bars ; snout and sides of head yellowish, speckled with black ; 

 blackish-brown beneath, the shields edged with yellowish. 



Average length — i foot. 



Distribution^Zululand ; Portuguese East Africa. 



Genus SIMOCEPHALUS. 

 Two Species in South Africa. 

 KEY TO THE SPECIES. 

 Frontal a httle shorter than the parietals ; two 



postoculars ; ventrals 203-241 . . . . Siniocephaliis capensis. 



Frontal much shorter than the parietals ; a single 



postocular ; ventrals 1 71-185 .. .. Siniocephaliis nyassce. 



1. SiMocEPHALus CAPENsis. Three-comcred or File Snake; Driekant 



Vijlslang. 



Synonym — Heterolepis capensis. 



Colour — Scales blackish-brown and separated from one another, the skin 

 between each showing light purple. Ends of abdominal shields 

 blotched with blackish. The two last rows of scales on the sides 

 tipped with white. Upper lip and abdomen white. The middle 

 part of the vertebral scales white, starting from the neck and 

 running down to the tail, giving the appearance of the backbone 

 being exposed. Eyes black. Tongue flesh colour. 



Average length — 4 to 5 feet. 



Distribution— Natal ; Transvaal; Southern Rhodesia; Delagoa Bay; 

 Portuguese East Africa ; • Central Africa. 



2. SiMocEPHALus Nyass^. Northem Three-comcred or File Snake ; Noor- 



delijke Driekant Vijlslang. 

 Colour — Blackish-brown above, paler brown below, the cliin and the 



lateral ventral keel yellowish or white. 

 Average length — 4 feet. Attains a length of 5 feet. 

 Distribution— Natal ; Transvaal ; Delagoa Bay ; Portuguese East 



Africa ; Central Africa. 



Genus PSEUDASPIS. 

 Genus is represented by one Species only. 

 KEY TO THE SPECIES. 

 Scales smooth in 27 to 31 rows. Internasal entering 

 the nostril ; snout with vertical sides, more or less 

 prominent . . . . . . . . . . • . Pseudaspis cana. 



