27 



A NEW SNAKE {MELANELAPS MPHERS0N1) FROM 

 THE ADEN HINTERLAND. 



BY 



Capt. F. Wall, i.m.s,, c.m.z.s. 



Ulead before the Bombay Natural History Society on dtk October 1905.) 



An interesting addition to the Asian fauna lias recently been made 

 Jjy the discovery of a new poisonous colubrine snake by Captain G. 

 McPherson, I. M.S., at Dthali in the Aden Hinterland. It presents a 

 •combination of external characters so distinctive that I consider it 

 deserves generic rank, and I have accordingly called it Melanelaps 

 in conjunction with the discoverer's name. Whether this opinion will 

 b3 supported by osteological peculiarities must remain sub judtce until 

 more specimens have been obtained. The mandibular and palatine 

 teeth appear to be singularly few and small, but the fang unusually 

 well developed for members of the Elapin?e. 



It must be placed in the Family Colubridpe; Series Proterogiypha; 

 Sub-family Elapin?e. 



Judging from external characters (the scales, subcaudals, rostral, 

 frontal, supralabial, and posterior chin shields), it has no very close 

 affinities with any of the Indian poisonous colubrines, nor indeed with 

 any other known members of this sub-family. 



Description. — Rostral unusually large. Breadth fully twice height ; 

 projecting ; in contact with 6 shields, of which the internasal sutures are 

 the largest (about one- third greater than the anterior nasals), and the 

 1st labial sutures smallest, and inferior. Internasals a pair. Suture be- 

 tween them rather less than that between the prefrontal pair ; about 

 •one-third the internaso-priefrontal suture. Prefrontals a pair. The 

 suture between them about half the prsefronto-frontal suture : in con- 

 tact with, internasal, postnasal, prreocular, supraocular and frontal. 

 Frontal very large. In contact with (3 shields, of which the supraocu- 

 lars make the smallest sutures (about -J the rest which are subequal ) : 

 length greater than parietals and much greater than distance to end 

 of snout. Supraoculars. Length about | frontal; breadth about \ frontal. 

 Xasals two, divided ; in contact with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd supralabials ; 

 nostril slitlike, placed almost entirely in the anterior shield and occupy- 

 ing the upper ? of the suture. Loreal absent. Prceocular one, smal'. 

 Eye small. Its horizontal diameter rather more than half its distance 



