in the Collection of the British Museum. 427 



We have received from Mr. Salmon several very fine exam- 

 ples of this snake, collected about one hundred miles inland of 

 Sierra Leone, the largest being 16 inches long. I find, from 

 their examination, that this species cannot be separated from 

 Lycophidium^ the names mentioned having been given to 

 young examples in an indifferent state of preservation. There 

 are two nasal shields, the nostril being in the anterior ; the 

 posterior nasal very small. Ventral shields from 164 to 190. 

 The black spots or bands vary in number and extent ; they 

 are larger and more band-like in very young examples. 



Alopecion annuliferum being most probably a Boodon, the 

 genus Alojoecion may be erased from the system. Bocage's 

 Alopecion variegatum is likewise a Boodon. 



Lycophidium acutirostre. PI. XIX. figs. D. 



Snout much depressed, spatulate, with rather sharp edges. 

 Body of moderate length ; tail short. Eye very small ; ros- 

 tral shield very low, extending to the upper surface of the 

 head ; anterior frontals about one-fifth the size of posterior ; 

 vertical subtriangular ; loreal elongate, large ; prseorbital in 

 contact with the vertical ; eight upper labials, the third, fourth, 

 and fifth of which enter the orbit ; two postoculars ; temporals 

 1-1- 2-}- 3, the anterior in contact Avith the lower postorbital 

 only ; chin-shields small, the anterior not larger than the first 

 lower labials. Scales in seventeen rows. Ventrals 140, 146 

 (twice), 145. Anal entire; subcaudals 23. 



Upper and lower parts deep black ; scales on the sides and 

 the outer part of the ventral shields finely marbled with bluish. 

 Side of the head yellowish, marbled with black ; margin of 

 the snout nearly uniform yellowish. 



Several specimens, from 8 to 11 inches long, were sent 

 by Dr. Kirk from Zanzibar ; two or three were adult females, 

 each with four ova in the oviduct. This snake feeds on small 

 Scincoids. It is a species very distinct from any of the va- 

 rieties of Lycophidium Horstockii, being distinguished by the 

 peculiar form of the snout and the constantly much smaller 

 number of ventral shields. 



The figures represent the head, of twice the natural size. 



Lycophidium Horstockii (Schleg.). 

 The museum of Cape Town is in possession of a specimen 

 from Bayana Bay, Madagascar : it represents one of the nu- 

 merous varieties of this species, and is uniform dark brown 

 above, whitish below, with numerous brown spots. Ventrals 



182. - 



30* ■■ 



