1866.] MR. E. BLYTH ON AFRICAN BUFFALOS. 371 



second white band spotted with black beneath the eye from the 

 rostral to the last upper labial. 



In young specimens the ventral scales in the middle of body are 

 red. 



Hah. Flinder's Range. Collected by Mr. George Masters, who 

 found seven specimens. 



3. Hoplocephalus gouldii, Gray (var.). 



Scales in 15 rows. Anal entire. Ventrals 148. Subcaudals 34; 

 in others 26, 27, 33, 31, and 29. 



Head depressed, scarcely distinct from trunk ; vertical five-sided, 

 with acute angle behind ; occipitals large, not much forked ; anterior 

 frontals triangular ; posterior frontals quadrangular, somewhat larger 

 than the former. Seven upper and seven lower labial scales, smooth, 

 rather short, six-sided, lighter on the outer margin. 



Coloration. — Greyish brown above, yellowish white below ; the 

 marks upon the head vary in different individuals ; rostral, nasal, and 

 anterior part of first pair of frontals marked with black ; remaining 

 portion of anterior frontals and whole of posterior ones reddish, after 

 which another black patch covers the vertical superciliaries and part 

 of the occipitals, a faint star marking all the scales around the inner 

 margin of the eye; pupil subelliptical, erect ; a third black spot covers 

 the nape of the neck, about four scales wide, but not reaching to the 

 sides. In some of the specimens before me the second black patch 

 is continuous, leaving only the tips of the occipitals and the scale 

 between them reddish. 



Hab. Port Lincoln. Collected by Mr. George Masters. 



4. A Note on African Buffalos. 

 By Edward Blyth, C.M.Z.S. 



More than a quarter of a century ago, when the Society main- 

 tained its Museum in Leicester Square, it was in possession of the 

 skin of a Buffalo from the Galla country south of Abyssinia, received 

 from Dr. Riippell, by whom the race was considered to be identical 

 with the well-known Bubalus caffer of South Africa. To me it pre- 

 sented certain differences which seemed indicative of its being a di- 

 stinguishable race, characterized by much smaller size and horns of 

 greatly inferior development when fully grown ; moreover the latter 

 did not bend decidedly downwards and then curve upwards as in the 

 Cape animal, but were nearly on a level throughout, approximating 

 to those of the B. planiceros, nobis, figured in the Society's ' Pro- 

 ceedings ' for 1863, p. 158. Although still possessing a carefully 

 drawn figure of the frontlet of the Galla specimen, formerly in the 

 Society's collection, I intentionally refrained from noticing it when 

 exhibiting the frontlet of B. planiceros, figured in the Society's 

 ' Proceedings ' for 1863, in the hope and expectation, which has now 



