CHAPTER XIII. 



Systematic List of South African Snakes for the Use 

 OF Museum Curators and Scientific Students. 



Compiled by Dr. G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., of the 

 British Museum. 



(Inserted by kind permission of the British Museum Authorities 

 and Dr. Boulenger.) 



Part II.— OPHIDIA. 



Synopsis of the Families represented in South Africa. 



I. Worm-like, with the eyes under the more or less 



transparent head-shields ; mouth very small, 



either the upper or the lower toothless ; body 



covered with uniform scales. 

 Lower jaw toothless ; ocular shield not bordering the 



mouth ; at least 20 scales round the body . . . . Typhlopidcs. 



Upper jaw toothless ; ocular shield bordering the mouth ; 



14 scales round the body . . . . . . . . Glauconiidce. 



II. Eyes exposed ; both jaws toothed ; enlarged ventral 



shields usually present. 



A. Maxillary bone horizontal, not vertically movable; 



poison-fangs, if present, small or rather small. 



Praemaxillary bone toothed ; rudiments of hind limbs, 

 usually appearing externally as a claw-like horny 

 spine on each side of the vent ; labial shields with 

 pits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boidcs. 



No praemaxillary tooth ; no rudiments of hind limbs ; 



labial shields without pits . . . . . . . . ColubridcB. 



B. Maxillary bone very short, vertically movable, 



bearing only the poison-fangs, which are usually 



very large . . . . . . . . . . . . ViperidcB. 



Family TYPHLOPID^. 



A Single Genus in South Africa. 



I. TYPHLOPS. 



Schneid. Hist. Amph. ii. p. 339 ; Bouleng. Cat. Sn. i. p. 7. 



Ten Species in South Africa. 



I. Snout rounded ; 22 or 24 scales round the body. 



Praeocular much narrower than the ocular, in contact 

 with the second and third labials ; diameter of body 

 42 to 45 times in total length . . . . . . T. verticalis. 



441 



