34' ON THK CRASPEDOCEPHALI OF BAUIA. [Jan. 27, 



Dumeril and Bibron are not explicit as regards the coloration of C. 

 brasiliensis. 



In Piof. Jan's ' Prodrome d'une iconographie descriptive des 

 Ophidiens/ published in 1859, I find Trigonocephalus neuwiecli, 

 which is synonymous with C. atrox, enumerated as a distinct species. 

 I also find that Dumeril and Bibron consider specimens with a white 

 tip to the tail as a variety ; I may therefore be allowed to make the fol- 

 lowing remarks. Seven of my specimens of C. atrox are quite young, 

 their total length ranging from 0-333 to 0382 ; in all the tip of the 

 tail is white. Besides these, I have seen many other small specimens, 

 which always showed the same peculiarity. In two specimens of 

 0-620 and 0-530 total length, which may be considered half-grown, 

 the tip of the tail is hghter-coloured than the rest of the body, show- 

 ing the transition to the black colour in the tail of adults. From 

 this I think it reasonable to infer that the diiference in the colour 

 of the tip of the tail in individuals of C. atrox depends on their age, 

 and does not constitute a variety, much less a species. The Bra- 

 zilians, however, consider small individuals as a distinct species, which 

 they call " Caisacca." Of the young of C. brasiliensis Schlegel 

 states expressly (Essai, ii. p. 533), " Les petits offrent le bout de 

 la queue blanc." 



The largest of my three supposed specimens of C. brasiliensis has 

 a total length of 0-872, and may be considered therefore about half- 

 grown ; the tip of its tail is lighter-coloured than the body ; under- 

 neath to a greater extent, and above at the extreme tip it is quite 

 white. In one of the other two specimens the tip of the tail is 

 lighter-coloured, in the other white. 



According to the statement of Schlegel, the iris of C. brasiliensis 

 is dark red ; he does not mention how the iris of C. atrox is coloured. 

 In many live specimens of the latter species which I have seen, I 

 always found it of a dark grey. I never saw a live specimen of a 

 snake corresponding to my supposed specimens of C. brasiliensis. 

 In these the colour of the iris is not preserved. 



As to C. lanceolafus, I very much doubt whether it occurs in 

 Brazil at all. 



Trigonocephalus landsbergii, Schl., Bothrops castelnaudi, and 

 Bothrops alternans, D. & B., have not yet come under my notice. 



Of Craspedocephalus bilineatus I have seen eight specimens — seven 

 from the vicinity of Villa Vicosa, where the Prince of "Wied, who 

 first described the species, found his specimen, and one of unknown 

 origin. 



I had previously observed that some Brazilian species of Snakes 

 (as Spilotes variabilis and iS. pcecilostoma, Coryphodon pnntherinus, 

 Xenodon cohibrinus, &c.) have the habit of striking the ground 

 rapidly with their tail when irritated ; I had lately occasion to 

 notice the same peculiarity in a large specimen of Craspedocephalus 

 atrox. 



