BUCEPHALUS CAPENSIS.— Smith.* 



Reptilia. — Plate X. 



B. supra viridi-brunneus aut viridi-niger, squamis prope scuta abdominalia flavo-ir.aculatis ; infra flavus, 

 tseniolis viridi-nigris transversis variegatus ; labiis mandibuleequc partibus inferioribus pallida flavis. 

 Scuta abdominalia, 189; squamae sub-caudales, 106 — 106. 

 Loxgitudo corporis cum capite, 3 ped. 5 J unc. ; caudas, 14 unc. 



Bucephalus Jardini, Smith, Zoological Journal, vol. iv. p. 442. 

 DispnoLiDES Lalandii, Duvemoy, Ann. de Sci. Nat. torn. 26. p. 150. 

 Dendropois Colubrina, Scklegel, Physion. dcs Serpens, p. 238, 1837. 



Colour. — The upper and lateral parts of the head above the upper lip, 

 and the upper parts of the body and tail vary from dark greenish brown to 

 greenish black ;| the lower parts of the sides in general more or less varie- 

 gated with yellow or greenish yellow spots, one spot towards the centre of 

 each scale, with the carina crossing it longitudinally. The upper and lower 

 lips, and the under surface of the lower jaw, particularly towards the angle of 

 the mouth, lemon-yellow with an orange or buff tint. The belly and under 

 surface of tile tail yellow with narrow transverse dark coloured bars, the 

 former is the predominant colour in the majority of specimens met with, and is 

 of a tint intermediate between lemon and orange-yellow ; in many examples 

 the two colours are nearly in equal proportions, the one being profusely 

 mottled with spots of the other. In the specimens in which the narrow bars 

 are distinct, each plate, and also each subcaudal scale, have one bar near to 

 their hinder edge, and the bars vary in colour from brownish black to greenish 

 black ; the margins of the plates and the scales are semi-transparent, and of 

 a dull amber tint. Towards the tip of the tail the subcaudal scales are gene- 



* Having satisfied myself that the four snakes I described many years ago in the Zoological Journal 

 as so many distinct species are in reality only varieties of one species, I have here rejected all the specific 

 names by which I proposed on that occasion to designate them, and adopted a new one with a view to 

 lessen as much as possible the chance of confusion. 



t In some specimens, we find the colour distinctly greenish brown, in others, greenish black or brownish 

 black, and in many it is intermediate between these colours. 

 1 



