DIVISION OPISTHOGLYPHA 



123 



Scales in 17 rows; Vcntrals 154-198. 

 Preocular narrowly in contact with 

 or separated from the frontal. 

 Two preoculars ; rostral considerably 

 broader than deep, 8 upper labials, 3 

 entering the eye 



Scales in 17 rows ; sub-caudals 132. 9 

 upper labials, 2 entering the eye 



Scales in 17 rows; Ventrals 161-173. 9 

 upper labials, 3 entering the eye. 

 Snout nearly twice as long as broad ; 

 anal divided ; sub-caudals 109-127 . . 



Scales in 17 rows; Ventrals 154-198. A 

 single preocular ; rostral as deep as 

 broad or slightly broader than deep ; 

 two labials entering the eye. Frontal, 

 in the middle, narrower than the sup- 

 raocular ; sub-caudals 90— 116 



Scales in 17 rows; Ventrals 153-163. 

 Frontal in the middle nearly as broad 

 as the supraocular ; sub-caudals 64—95 



Scales in 15 rows. Preocular extensively 

 in contact with the frontal ; Ventrals 



165-177 



Scales in 15 rows. Preocular not reaching 

 the frontal ; 8 upper labials (rarely 

 seven); Ventrals 136-155 



Scales in 11 rows. Ventrals 141-155; sub- 

 caudals 57-81 



Psammophis transvaaliensis. 

 Psammophis trigrammus. 



Psammophis bocagii. 



Psammophis sibilans. 



Psammophis brevirostris. 



Psammophis jallae. 



Psammophis crucifer. 

 Psammophis angolensis. 



Psammophis notostictus. Dapple-backed Sand Snake ; [Appel Bont 

 Zand Slang. 



Colour — Pale brown or olive above, with a pair of more or less dis- 

 tinct lighter stripes, and with or without small black spots ; 

 each vertebral scale often yellow in its posterior half ; head 

 with dark spots but no longitudinal streaks ; upper labials 

 and usually pre- and postoculars yellowish white ; anterior 

 labials often spotted with black ; lower parts and whole or 

 part of outer row of scales yellowish white, or olive with lateral 

 yellowish stripe ; anterior ventrals often with small black spots. 



Average length — 2 feet 6 inches to 3 feet. 



Distribution — Both provinces of Cape Colony ; Orange Free State ; 

 Basutoland ; South West Africa ; Angola and Lower Congo. 



Psammophis furcatus. Fork-marked Sand or Grass Snake ; Whip 

 Snake; Vurk-merk Zand Slang. (Vurk-gemerkde.) 



Synonym — Psammophis monoliger. 



Colour — Brown above, the scales edged with darker, a narrow yellow 

 vertebral line bifurcating on the occiput, its branches extending 

 to the anterior border of the frontal shield ; a broader yellow 

 streak on each side, from the eye to the end of the tail ; upper 

 lip, lower half of the outer row of scales, and lower parts j-ellowish 

 white with or without an interrupted blackish Une on each side 

 of the ventrals. 



Average length^3 feet. 



Distribution — Both provinces of Cape Colony ; Orange Free State ; 

 Transvaal ; Southern Rhodesia ; South West Africa ; North to 

 Angola and Lower Congo. 



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