332 Dr. A. Gunther on the 



The coloration of the adult is uniform greenish olive, the 

 abdomen being whitish. A very young specimen has the 

 back crossed by numerous narrow curved bands, the con- 

 vexity being directed backwards. The neck and occiput are 

 ornamented by the outlines of the arrow-shaped spot which is 

 observed in the two other species, but which in this species 

 is lost in the adult. 



We possess three specimens of this species ; one came 

 from Lake Tanganyika and the two others were found by 

 Mr. F. J. Jackson at Lamu on the east coast. The largest 

 is 18 inches long, the tail measuring 1| inch. 



Elapsoidea nigra^ sp. n. 



Uniform black, lower jaw and anterior ventrals whitish. 

 Scales in 13 rows. Body moderately stout. Ventrals 153; 

 subcaudals in a double series, in 16 pairs ; two pairs of fron- 

 tal shields, one prge- and two postoculars ; seven upper labials, 

 of which the third and fourth enter the orbit. Temporals 

 1-1-2-1-2. Anterior chin-shields in contact with four labials. 



A single specimen, 16 inches long, the tail measuring \\ 

 inch, was obtained at Ushambola. 



Atractaspis microJepidota^ Gthr. 



A specimen of this species was obtained on the shores of 

 Lake Tanganyika. It has 35 and 37 series of scales and 245 

 ventral scutes. 



11. The Snakes of the Lake-districts of Central Africa and 

 their Relation to those of other Districts of Tropical Africa. 



The difficulties attending the carriage in Central Africa of 

 natural-history collections, and especially of specimens pre- 

 served in spirits, have proved a great obstacle to the progress 

 of our knowledge of the Central-African fauna. Speke and 

 Grant had to be satisfied with bringing home one small snake 

 and the head of another, and some of their successors were 

 even less fortunate. It is only within the last few years that 

 small collections containing snakes have reached Europe. 

 Especially through the mediation of Sir J. Kirk many speci- 

 mens collected at mission-stations in the interior have been 

 sent to the British Museum ; and finally the German traveller 

 Hr. BohndorfF, Mr. F. J. Jackson, and Emin Pasha added to 

 the same collection series of specimens, numerically, indeed, 

 not very large, but all of great interest. 



