68 A NEW GENUS OF BOIDA OF CUBA. 
above very remarkable serpent. Nor is it mentioned in the splendid work of De la Sagra 
on the Natural History of Cuba. It has been for several years in the collection of the Aca- 
demy of Natural Sciences of Philada. Its proper place would appear to be along side of 
Tropidophis and Platygaster. It is a very harmless-looking animal. Nothing is known 
of its habits, which probably resemble those of Tortrix and Eryx. 
Geographical Distribution. The family of Pythonians, comprising the genera Python, 
Boa, Eryx, Xiphosoma, Liasis, and others, is represented, say Duméril and Bibron, in the 
four quarters of the globe, as well as in Australia and the Indian Archipelago. The greater 
number of species, however, belonging to six genera, viz., Tropidophis (2,) Boa (4,) Eu- 
nectes or Anaconda (1,) Xiphosoma (2,) Epicrates (2,) and Chilobothrus (1,) are natives 
of the American continent, or of the Indian Islands (Tropidophis and Epicrates Cuba.) 
(Chilobothrus, Jamaica and Porto Rico.) Boa, (divinoloqua, St. Lucia) (imperator Mexi- 
co,) (eques Peru.) (Constrictor, N. & E. parts of South America.) (Guiana, Brazil, Rio 
de la Plata, Buenos Ayres.) A species of Xiphosoma and Pelophilus are found in 
Madagascar. Eryx according to Duméril and Bibron is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. 
Morelia, Nardoa, and Platygaster belong exclusively to Australasia. Python to Africa, 
Asia and the Asiatic islands. (5 sp.) Liasis to the Asiatic islands and Australia. Platy- 
gaster belongs to New Holland, Engyrus to New Guinea and the Moluccas, Leptoboa, to 
islands dependent upon Africa; Tropidophis, Boa, Eunectes, Epicrates, and Chilobothrus 
are American. Pelophilus is peculiar to Africa. (Madagascar.) 
The total number of Pythonians, according to the celebrated authors above quoted is 33, 
of which one is common to Europe, Asia, and Africa (Eryx jaculus*) 7 to Africa, 2 to 
Asia, 2 to Asia and the Asiatic islands, 8 to Oceanica, 12 to America, and one of un- 
known origin. Above one-third of the species, therefore, exist in America. (See Dum. 
and Bib., vol. ii. p. 378 and 380.) 
Duméril and Bibron remark, as a fact worthy of note, that none of the twelve Ame- 
rican Pythonians belong to the sub-family of Holodonts, or those with intermaxillary 
* Prof. Schlegel adds Turcomania. None of the species enumerated by Prof. Schlegel in his monograph of the 
genus Eryx is said by him to inhabit Europe. He divides the Erycidze into two groups, Ist, those which have the 
head covered in great part with scales, the nostrils opening between three plates, and the tail short, including, KE. 
jaculus, thebaicus, conicus, and Johnii (maculatus nob.) ‘and 2nd, those which have the head covered with plates, 
except the occiput, the cheeks, and the throat, the nostrils opening in the middle of a single plate, tail short or 
of medium length, including EH. Reinhardtii, and H. multicarinatus, or Platygaster multicarinatus, Dum. 
and Bib. Tortrix Pseudo-Eryx. Schlegel. Abbildungen, pl. 34. According to Dum. and Bib., the nostrils in 
Eryx invariably open between three plates. The scales in Platygaster are tricarinate. 
Description d’une nouvelle espece du genre Eryx, Eryx Reinhardtii par H. Schlegel, memoir accompagnée d’une 
planche en noir, 4to. 
