LYCODON CAP EN SIS.— Smith. 



Reptilia. — Plate V. (Female.) 



L. supra nitide nigro-viridis, purpureo tinctus ; capite lineis albis reticulato, corporis squamis ad apices 



albis : infra viridi-flavus ; scutis abdominalibus 1?S ; squamis subcaudalibus 37. 

 Longitudo corporis 1 2 unc. ; cauda; 2 unc. 



Lycodon Capensis, South African Quarterly Journal, No. 5, page 18, Juno 1831. 

 Lycodon Horstokii, Schlege), Physiognomic des Serpens, 1837. 



Colour. — The upper surface of the head, the back and the upper parts of 

 the sides glossy blackish green, faintly flushed with purple, and delicately 

 variegated with white; the latter colour is in the form of slender delicate lines 

 upon the head, which are so interwoven as to exhibit a fine reticulated 

 appearance ; on the other parts it occurs in the shape of minute specks, one 

 close to the point of each scale. The upper lip, the lower parts of the sides, 

 and the under surface of the body and tail, greenish or wine yellow, the latter 

 with a longitudinal, zig-zag, dark stripe along its centre. Eyes livid green. 



The above were the colours of the individual represented in the plate, but 

 such are not the colours most commonly exhibited by specimens of this spe- 

 cies. All the individuals which I have seen, excepting the one described, have 

 had the upper parts of a shining greenish brown colour, the head without varia- 

 tions, and the scales along the middle of the back less distinctly marked with 

 white specks than those of the sides ; the subcaudal stripe was also wanting. 



Form, &c. — Head rather short, somewhat ovate and much depressed, its 

 sides slightly convex, more particularly towards the hindhead, which is not 

 distinct from the neck ; pupils vertical and of an oval form ; eyes small, with 

 two scales at the posterior angle, and one at the anterior; vertical plate large 

 and triangular, occipital plates long and also somewhat triangular. Body 

 subcylindrical, and slightly thicker at the middle than at the neck; from the 

 former it tapers gradually to the tip of the tail, which is pointed. The scales 

 are short, somewhat quadrangular, obtuse at the points, and disposed in 

 transverse rows, each row, according as it may be traced, will appear either 

 oblique, or bent and forming two sides of a triangle, the apex of which 

 will be situated on the middle of the back. One or two of the maxillary 



