444 ON NEW REPTILES FROM THE CAMAROONS. [June 16, 



animal for holding on to branches, &c. This modification of structure 

 appears to me to be sufficient for separating this species in a distinct 

 genus, for which the name Rhampholeon may be proposed. 



One male and two females, all adult, are in the collection. Male 

 39 lines long, tail 13 lines; female 35 lines long, tail 9 lines. 



Bothrolycus (g. n. Lycodont.). 



Habit stout ; head rather short, depressed, with an obliquely 

 truncated snout ; tail short. A deep pit in the loreal region. Scales 

 smooth, in nineteen rows. Anal entire ; subcaudals biserial. Pupil 

 round. The anterior teeth of the maxillary row considerably larger 

 than the succeeding, from which they are separated by a short 

 interspace. 



A most singular genus, combining the family characters of a Ly- 

 codon with the peculiar praeocular pit of the Colubrine genus Bothr- 

 ophthalmus, which is also one of the most characteristic forms of 

 the West- African fauna. It is a very remarkable fact that this pit 

 is found in venomous as well as non-venomous Snakes, the Asiatic 

 and American Ophidians provided with it belonging to the family 

 Crotalidse, whilst those from tropical Africa are Colubrine and 

 Lycodont forms. 



Bothrolycus ater. (Plate LVII. fig. B.) 



The form of the head reminds us of that of Halys, the rostral and 

 lateral margins being angular. The rostral shield does not extend to 

 the upper surface of the snout. Anterior frontals broader than 

 long, half the size of posterior. Superciliaries as large as vertical ; 

 occipitals short. Nostril small, between two nasals. Loreal entirely 

 sunk into the elongate pit which extends into the orbit, the single 

 praeocular being visible only as a linear shield above the pit. Seven 

 upper labials, the fourth and fifth entering the orbit. Two small 

 postoculars. Temporals 1+2, the upper of the second series being 

 situated behind the occipital, and large, twice the size of the lower. 

 Median lower labial longer than broad. Scales perfectly smooth, 

 none of the middle rows enlarged, in nineteen series. Ventrals with- 

 out ridge, 147 in number. Subcaudals 22 pairs. 



Uniform black above, blackish brown below. On some of the 

 labial shields a minute yellowish speck edged with darker. Similar 

 very small and indistinct spots on the ventrals. 



Total length 18 inches, the tail being \\ inch. 



Lycophidium elapoides. 



The single specimen in the collection is in a bad state of preserva- 

 tion, especially the head, which had been partially dried. However, 

 the scutellation appears to have been very similar to that of L. 

 irroratum, of which species two examples were in the collection. 

 Scales in seventeen rows. Ventrals 225 ; subcaudals 72 pairs. Body 

 and tail annulated with alternate white and black rings of equal width, 

 but with somewhat irregular outlines ; there are twenty-five black 

 rings on the body and nine on the tail. The head is nearly entirely 



