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THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



AspiDELAPs scuTATus. Shield Snake ; Schild Slang. 



Synonyms — Cyrtopsis scutatus ; Naia fula-ftda. 



Colour — Pale greyish-brown above, with transverse dark spots or cross 

 bands ; head and about two inches of the neck black ; chin 

 and throat white, separated by black irregular blotches ; under- 

 parts whitish. 



Average length — i foot 6 inches to 2 feet. 



Distribution — Cape, east from Graaff Rcinet; Bechuanaland Pro- 

 tectorate ; Natal ; Orange Free State ; Transvaal ; Delagoa Bay ; 

 Southern Rhodesia ; Portuguese East Africa. 



Genus ELAPECHIS. 



Three Species in South Africa. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Portion of rostral visible from above, not half 

 as long as its distance from the frontal, 

 which shield is a little shorter than the 

 parietals ; diameter of eye less than its 

 distance from the nostril in the adult. Scales 

 in 13 rows. Snout broadly rounded 



Elapechis guentheri. 



I'lo. 70. — Head and mck of the Coral Snake {Asf^idclaps lubricus). 

 Colour, coral-red or orange-red, banded with black. A rather 

 large shield curving back from the nose. 



Scales in 13 rows. Portion of rostral visible 

 from above, as long as its distance from 

 the frontal, which shield is much shorter than 

 the parietals ; diameter of eye less than its 

 distance from the nostril in the adult 



Snout obtusely pointed. Portion of rostral 

 visible from above, at least half as long as 

 its distance from the frontal, which shield 

 is much shorter than the parietals ; diameter 

 of eye equal to its distance from the nostril 



Elapechis sundevallii. 



Elapechis decosteri. 



