142 DR. A. GiJNTHER ON A NEW SPECIES OF BOA. [April 9, 



3. On a New Species of the Family Boid^e. 

 By Dr. Albert Gunther. 



(Plate XXIII.) 

 Pelophilus fordii. 



Head rather narrow ; neck slender ; body thick, compressed ; tail 

 conical, tapering, prehensile. The anterior part of the head is covered 

 with regular shields, symmetrically arranged, the posterior part from 

 the orbits is scaly. There are four pairs of frontal shields, two small 

 shields being intercalated between the posterior pair ; then follows a 

 large square vertical shield, the largest of all the shields of the head, 

 situated between the superciliaries. The nasal opening is small, 

 between three shields — namely between the two nasals and the ante- 

 rior frontal. Three or four loreals, two anterior and five posterior 

 oculars. Thirteen upper labials, the sixth, seventh and eighth enter- 

 ing the orbit ; none of them grooved. Pupil vertical, elliptical. 

 Scales smooth, in twenty-eight series on the posterior part of the 

 neck, and in thirty-three on the middle of the body. Ventral shields 

 rather narrow, 253 ; anal I ; subcaudals entire 70. 



The ground colour is a reddish olive, more yellowish inferiorly ; a 

 reddish brown streak from the nasal shield through the orbit to the 

 angle of the mouth. A series of about eighty transverse reniform 

 spots from the head to the end of the tail ; each spot light reddish 

 brown, edged with dark brown. Another series of similar, but 

 smaller and irregular spots along each side ; belly nearly uniform. 



Length of the head ^ inch, of trunk 22 inches, of tail 4 inches. 



This species comes from Western Africa, but I am not aware from 

 what particular part. I have named it after Mr. Ford, whose merits 

 in herpetology are well known by his truly artistical drawings. 



4. On a New Species of Fish of the Genus Gerres. 

 By Dr. A. Gijnther, For. Memb. 



(Plate XXIV.) 



Gerres longirostris, Rapp. (PI. XXIV.) 



U. -. A. -. 



The height of the body is one-half of the total length (without 

 caudal). Prseorbital and prseoperculum not serrated. Dorsal Jin 

 not notched; the spines are modei-ately strong ; the length of the 

 second being four-sevenths of that of the head, or two-fifths of the 

 depth of the body. The second and third anal spines are nearly of 

 the same strength, and considerably shorter than those of the dorsal 

 fin. Silvery, with darker stripes along the series of scales. 



Hab. Cape of Good Hope. 



This species is distinguished from all the others by the dorsal fin, 

 which has the upper margin even, witjiout any indication of a notch. 

 It has been established by Professor W. von Rapp from specimens in 



