Dr. 0. Wucherer on the Ophidians of Bahia. 323 



inches. 



First dorsal, distance from muzzle 3|- 



, length of base 1-| 



, length of first branched ray 1-| 



, length of last ray |- 



Second dorsal, height | 



, distance from first dorsal 1|- 



Pectorals, length 2^ 



, distance from muzzle 2|- 



, width of base -^ 



Ventrals, length 1 i- 



, distance behind pectorals 1 



Vent, distance of vertical from muzzle 5y^^ 



Anal, length of fourth ray 1^ 



, length of base 1-|^ 



, distance from ventrals 2-| 



Tail, height | 



Caudal, length 2 



Jan. 27, 1863.— G. R. Waterhouse, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 



On the Ophidians of the Province of Bahia, Brazil. 

 By Dr. Otho Wucherer, Corr. Memb. (Part III.*) 



The Dryadidse v^hich I have here been able to obtain belong to 

 two genera — Herpetodryas and Philodryasf. The specimens of 

 Herpetodryas were in very considerable number, but I am disposed 

 to consider them all belonging to H. carinatus. They showed many 

 varieties as regards their scales ; some appeared to possess no keels 

 at all, indeed the keel was almost effaced, and barely perceptible, on 

 very close inspection, in a few only of the scales. But these speci- 

 mens agreed in every other respect so much with undoubted speci- 

 mens of H. carinatus that I could not help considering them spe- 

 cifically the same, and supposing Schlegel was right in not regarding 

 H.fuscus as a species. H. carinatus is one of the few Snakes pos- 

 sessing the peculiarity pointed out by Reinhardt, that, though they 

 have keeled scales, these have but one groove at the tip. The groove 

 is often very indistinct in H. carinatus, and to be found only on 

 some of the scales of the neck. 



Of the genus Philodryas I have seen two species — Philodryas 

 Reinhardtii and P. Olfersii. Of these, the former is by far the most 

 common in our neighbourhood. Soon after my attention was drawn 

 to the small grooves on the scales, I found that all my specimens of 

 P. viridissimus had but one groove on each scale. I therefore thought 

 Reinhardt was wrong in stating this Snake to have two grooves, 

 until Dr. Gxinther showed that there were two species comprehended 

 under the name P. viridissimus, to the one of which with two grooves 

 he has left the name viridissimus (Surinam), establishing the other 

 with one groove as a new species — P. Reinhardtii (Brazil). 



* See ' Annals,' 186] , vol, viii. p. 179 ; 1862, vol. ix. p. 251. 



t [To these we may now add the genus Dromicus; see page 325. — A. G.] 



