944 MR. G. A. BOULENGER ON THE [DeC. 14, 



8. On the Ophidian Genus Grcujla. 

 By G. A. BouLEXGER, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S.* 



[Received October 29, 1909.] 



(Text-figures 295-299.) 



The progress in our knowledge of African Snakes due to 

 increased material has shown the genus Grayla, established by 

 Dr. Gimther in 1858 f, to be much in want of revision. The 

 discovery of Grayla tholloni has so completely bridged over 

 the gap separating this geuus from Xenm-ophis Giinther, that 

 I no longer think the latter can be maintained. The two 

 species Grayia smithii Leach, and Grayia /areata Mocq., which 

 I retained as distinct in the Catalogue of Snakes (vol. ii., 1894) 

 were erroneously characterized, and the name of the latter 

 has to be altei-ed to that of ornata proposed at an ea,rlier date by 

 Barboza du Bocage. Thanks to the courtesy of my friend and 

 colleague Prof. Dollo, C.M.Z.S., I have received the loan of the 

 type specimen of his Grayia giardi, the true affinities of which I 

 had overlooked, and which I am now convinced should be referred 

 to the synonymy of T'ropidonotus oUvaceus Peters. Another 

 species more recently described as Grayia luhrica W. Sclater, 

 Ann. S. Afr. Mus. i. 1898, p. 109, must also be withdrawn as 

 synonymous with Trojyidonotus Icevissimus Giinther, the habitat 

 of which long remained unknown, but of which I have recently 

 received a specimen from Natal through Dr. E. Warren. 



The genus Grayia, after these eliminations, embraces four 

 species — G. ornata, G. smythii, G. tholloni, of which revised de- 

 scriptions are here given, and G. ccesar. 



Grayia ornata. 



Macrophis ornatus Bocage, Jorn. Sc. Lisb. i. 1866, p. 67. 



Glaniolestes ornatus Peters, Mon. Berl. Ac. 1877, p. 614. 



Grayia /areata Mocquard, Bull. Soc. Philom. (7) xi. 1887, 

 p. 71 ; Bouleng. Cat. Sn. ii. p. 287 (1894). 



Grayia triangularis (non Hallow.), Giinth. Ann. &, Mag. IST. H. 

 (6) i. 1888, p. 325. 



Grayia smythii, part., Bouleng. Cat. Sn. ii. p.' 286 ; Werner, 

 Verb, zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, xlix. 1899, p. 138; Bovdeng. Proc. 

 Zool. Soc. 1900, p. 453 ; Sternfeld, Mitth. Zool. Mus. Berl. iv. 

 1908, p. 231. 



* Published by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum. 



t The name Grai/ia might he objected to as preoccupied iu Zoology ; it had long 

 ago been changed by Cope (Glaniolestes) on the ground of its preoccupation in 

 Botany. However, on referring to the zoological paper m which the prior use of the 

 name occurs (C. K. Ac. Sci. xliii. 1856, p. 841), I find that Grayia, Bonaparte, 

 is merely a nomen nudum for a subgenus of Fala^teri/x, Owen. 



