322 dr. o. -wucherer on the ophidians of bahia. [nov. 12, 



5. On the Ophidians of the Province of Bahia, Brazil. 

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



Of the family of CoronellidcB several species of Liophis are very 

 common in this province — Liophis cobella, L. merremii, L. regince, 

 and L. conirostris. The last appears to me to occur only in the 

 vicinity of the city of Bahia. In several collections of Ophidians 

 sent to me from different parts of the province, I never found a single 

 specimen, whilst it is rather common in the vicinity of the city of 

 Bahia. It never attains to the same size as the other species. Some 

 specimens of L. merremii show so constantly certain differences from 

 others, that I feel tempted to consider them as belonging to a distinct 

 species, particularly as those differences are by no means referable to 

 the different age of the individuals ; however I shall withhold my sug- 

 gestions until I shall have collected more materials to substantiate 

 them. Erythrolamprus venustissimus, of the same family, is not 

 unfrequent. It shares with different other snakes the Portuguese 

 name of Cobra Coral. 



The species of the genus Xenodon, which have been referred to 

 the family of Natricida, are allied to Liophis in many respects. 

 Their dentition is very similar ; they may all be considered as fresh- 

 water snakes (some species of Liophis are called by the Brazilians 

 Cobras dagua), although they are frequently found in dry places 

 and at a distance from the water. They all live on Batrachians, and 

 have this peculiarity in common with the other snakes of the family 

 oi Natricidce, that they do not squeeze their prey to death before 

 swallowing it, nor ever coil themselves around it, 



I have noticed only two species of Xenodon — X. rhabdocephalus 

 and X. cohihrinus. 



In a preliminary list of snakes observed by me, given by Dr. Albert 

 Giinther, X. severus is mentioned ; however, on a repeated examination 

 of the specimens in my possession, I must refer them all to X. rhabdo- 

 cephalus ■\. This is a very common species in Bahia. Several young 

 examples may be frequently found together. It is very lively and 

 courageous, and, on account of its broad head and rather vicious 

 appearance, much dreaded by the Brazilians, who give it the name 

 of Surucueil. In order to distinguish Lachesis mutus from it, they 

 call the latter Surucucii bico de jacca, from the resemblance of its 

 strongly keeled scales to the prominences on the Jackfruit — the fruit 

 of the Artocarpus integrifolia. This Xenodon is very voracious. Re- 

 cently I had a young living specimen of it in the same cage with one 

 of Liophis conirostris, and gave them two young Cystignathi fusci 

 for their food. The Xenodon immediately seized one of the frogs by 

 the snout ; but the Liophis did not succeed so well with the other frog, 

 and found it easier to seize the Xenodon' s prey by the hind legs. A 

 struggle commenced, in which the Xenodon had better hold of 

 the frog than the Liophis, and the latter, being obstinate and not in- 



* See above, p. 113. 



t One specimen of X. severus in the Collection of the British Museum is men- 

 tioned in the Catalogue as derived from Bahia. 



