DIVISION OPISTHOGLYPHA 



123 



Psammophis transvaaliensis. 

 Psammophis irigrammus. 



Psammophis bocagii. 



Psammophis sibilans, 

 Psammophis brevirostns. 

 Psammophis jallce. 

 Psammophis crucifer. 



Scales in 17 rows; Ventrals 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 augoleiisis. 



1. 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. 



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



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



Synonym — Psammoph is 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 yellowish 

 white with or without an interrupted blackish hne 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. 



