376 



GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. 



[part IV. 



Lytorhynchus, Rhamnophis, Herpetethiops and Grayia, are Ethio- 

 pian ; Rhincchis is peculiar to Europe ; Megahlabes to Celebes, and 

 Styporhynchus to Gilolo ; Cyclophis, is found in the Oriental re- 

 gion, Japan, and North America ; Spilotes, in the Nearctic and 

 Neotropical regions ; Xenclaphis in the Oriental, Ethiopian, and 

 Palsearctic regions ; Philodryas, Heterodon and Hcrpetodryas in 

 America and Madagascar, the latter genus being also found in 

 China. 



Family 8.— HOMALOPSID.E. (24 Genera, 50 Species.) 



General Distribution. 



The Homalopsidse, or Fresh- water Snakes, have been separated 

 from the Hydridse by Dr. Giinther, and they include some groups 

 which have been usually classed with the Natricinse. They 

 are especially characteristic of the Oriental region, where consi- 

 derably more than half the genera and species are found ; next 

 comes the Neotropical region which has 6 species ; while none 

 of the other regions have more than 4 or 5. It is to be observed 

 that the Ethiopian species occur in West Africa only, and mostly 

 constitute peculiar genera, so that in this family the separation 

 of the Ethiopian and Oriental regions is very well marked. The 

 best characterised genera of the family are the following : — 



Cantoria (10 sp.), ranging from Europe to Japan, the Philip- 

 pines, and Timor, with one species in Guinea ; Hypsirhina (6 

 sp.), Bengal, China, and Borneo ; Fordonia (3 sp.), Rangoon to 

 Borneo and Timor ; Homalopsis (2 sp,), Cambodja to Java ; 

 Cerberus (2 sp.), Ceylon and Siam, the Malay Islands, New 

 Guinea, and North Australia ; Herpeton (1 sp.), Siam ; Ferania 

 (1 sp.), Bengal to Penang; Pythonopsis (1 sp.), Borneo; Myron 

 (2 sp.), India and North Australia; Homalophis (1 sp.), Borneo; 

 Hipistes (1 sp.), Penang; Xcnodermus (1 sp.), Java; Neustero- 

 phis and Limnophis, with one species each, are peculiar to West 



