1861.] DR. O. WUCHERER ON A NEW ELAPOMORPHUS. 325 



middle third of the scale. They are proportionately smaller in 

 larger specimens. The largest specimen noticed by me is 5 feet 

 7 inches long. 



PhUodryasviridissimusis not quite so common as the last species. 

 The largest specimen I have seen measured 4 feet. Reinhardt found 

 two grooves in the scales of this snake. After a careful search, I 

 . cannot find more than one groove at the tip of the scales. Some 

 scales on the tail have certainly two grooves, evidently in consequence 

 of the confluence of two scales. 



Philodryas schottii. — I obtained a single specimen in a bad state. 



Of the family of Dendrophidce I have seen a single specimen of 

 AhcBtulla liocerca * : it must be a very beautiful snake. It is said 

 to be exceedingly lively ; and this, with its proportionately long teeth, 

 may be the cause of its being considered dangerous by the Brazilians. 



The family of Dryophidce has two representatives in Bahia, be- 

 longing to the genus Dryophis — D. argentea and D. acuminata. 

 The former is very scarce (I have seen only one specimen in Mr. 

 C. M. Toppel's collection), the latter very common. 



6. Description of a New Species of Elapomorphus from 

 Brazil. By Dr. Otho Wucherer, Corr. Memb. 



Elapomorphus scalaris. 



Eight upper labials, the fourth and fifth touching the eye, the 

 seventh largest. Scales in seventeen rows ; 128-130 ventral shields ; 

 dirty brick-red above ; head brownish, with a black narrow dorsal 

 streak traversed by short black bands ; narrow black spots on the 

 sides. 



Hab. Caiiavieras, Matta de S. Joao, Bahia, 



Description. — The body of moderate length, almost cylindrical; 

 belly flat ; the tail short. Head moderate, distinct, with flat crown ; 

 the cleft of mouth moderate; rostral shield triangular, almost reaching 

 the surface of the head, recurved, concave, the inferior edge slightly 

 protruding ; three frontals, two anterior and one posterior, the former 

 small, almost triangular, very narrow in the antero-posterior direc- 

 tion, the posterior one very large ; one nasal pierced by the nostril ; 

 nostril large, lateral ; superciliary shield small ; one anterior, two 

 posterior oculars, the anterior large, high, forming a short suture 

 with the vertical ; loreal elongate ; vertical moderate, almost trian- 

 gular ; occipitals large, forked behind ; one temporal, sometimes 

 two, one behind the other, touching the inferior posterior ocular ; 

 upper labial shields eight, the fourth and fifth touching the eye, 

 the seventh largest ; eye moderate, sublateral, pupil round ; scales 

 rhombic, not truncated, smooth, equal, without any groove, a few in 

 the middle row of the tail larger, in seventeen rows ; posterior tooth 

 longest, grooved ; two pair of chin-shields. Snout and part of crown 

 brown and bluish iridescent, irregularly speckled with black ; lips 



* I received it from Mr. Christopher Gayleard, whose unceasing kindness in 

 assisting me to collect specimens I am happy to acknowledge. 



