i68 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 



or blackish wdth whitish cross bars or lines formed by the edges 

 of some of the scales ; lower parts dirty white or brownish, grey, 

 or blackish. 



Average length — 15 inches. 



Distribution — Transvaal ; Northwards to Tropical Africa. 



2. Elapechis sundevallii. Sundevall's Garter Snake; Kousband Slang. 

 Synonyms — Elaps sunderwallii ; Elapsoidea sundevallii. 



Colour — Reddish brown above with yellow cross bands, the scales 

 on which are edged with reddish-brown ; upper lip, outer row 

 of scales, and lower parts yellow. 



Average length — i foot 6 inches. 



Distribution— Griqualand ; Basutoland ; Natal. 



3. Elapechis decosteri. De Costa's Garter Snake; Kousband Slang. 

 Synonym — Elapsoidea decosteri. 



Colour— Dark grey above, each scale edged with black ; outer row 



of scales and lower parts white. 

 Average length — 14 inches. 

 Distribution — Zululand ; Vryheid District ; Delagoa Bay ; Portuguese 



East Africa. 



Genus HOMORELAPS. 



Sundevall's Garter jjyo Species in South Africa. 



Snake. '^ -' 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



Ventrals 160-209 ; sub-caudals 2642 .. .. Homorelaps lacteus. 



Ventrals 219-226 ; sub-caudals 25-28 . . . . Homorelaps dorsalis. 



1. Homorelaps LACTEUS. Southern Garter Snake ; Kousband Slang. 

 Synonyms — Coluber lacteus ; Cerastes lacteus ; Elaps lacteus ; Vipera 



lactea ; Elaps hygece ; Aspidelaps lacteus. 

 Colour — Colouration variable, but vertebral line constantly bright 

 red, yellow, or orange, even if crossed by black annuli ; head 

 black, with yellow or orange markings, sometimes with two 

 yellow dots close together behind the frontal shield. 



A. Yellowish-white with more or less regular black bars or annuli ; 



belly black, or with a continuous or interrupted black stripe. 



B. As in the preceding, but ventrals uniform white. 



C. Black, with small round yellow spots forming various markings ; 



a series of large orange spots along the spine more or less con- 

 fluent into a band ; ventrals black at the base, yellow behind. 



D. Black, each scale with a yellow dot ; an orange or citrine vertebral 



stripe ; ventrals black at the base, yellow behind. 

 Average length — i foot 4 inches. 

 Distribution — Both provinces of Cape Colony ; Natal ; Griqualand ; 



Orange Free State ; Transvaal. ' 



2. Homorelaps dorsalis. Striped Garter Snake ; Streep Kousband Slang. 

 Synonym — Elaps dorsalis ; Pcecilophis dorsalis. X 

 Colour— Black above with a yellow vertebral stripe extending to the 1 



tip of the snout ; lower parts and three outer rows of scales 



white. 

 Average length — i foot. 

 Distribution — Eastern Province of Cape Colony ; Orange Free State ; M 



Vryheid District ; Natal ; Transvaal. " 



