TARBOPHIS. 281 
Series B. OPISTHOGLYPHA. 
BIPSADOMORPHIN^. 
TARBOPHIS. 
Tarbophis, Fleisclimann, Dalm. Nov. Serp. Gen. 1831, p. 17. 
Body elongate, cylindrical, slightly compressed ; head distinct from the neck ; tail 
moderately long, cylindrical, pointed ; eye rather large, pupil vertically elliptic ; nostril 
in an entire, semidivided or divided nasal ; loreal present. Scales smooth, with apical 
pits, in 19-23 rows ; ventrals round ; anal entire or divided. Maxillary teeth in two 
groups : an anterior, 10-12 in number, decreasing in length from before backwards, 
and a posterior group of two grooved fangs separated from the former by an interspace 
and placed far back in the mouth ; anterior mandibular teeth long, posterior much 
shorter. 
Milne-Edwards *, in 1860, pointed out that in this series of serpents there exists a 
gland analogous to the poison-gland of the Proteroglypha and sometimes confounded 
with the series of superior labial glands which some authors call the maxillary gland ; 
and Mr. G. S. West 2 has recently examined this point in a number of genera. 
The serpents from Southern Syria referred to the following species had been regarded 
as examples of T. fallax, Fleischm., until Mr. Boulenger showed (' Cat. Snakes,' iii. 
p. 48) that they constitute a distinct species, of which he believes we find figures on 
Suppl. Eept. pi. iv. (1813) figs. 2i-2 3 of the ' Descr. de l'Egypte.' He accordingly 
named it T. saviqnyi. As these figures are the only records extant of its supposed 
occurrence in Egypt, a portion of fig. 2 l with figs. 2 2 and 2 3 are here reproduced, along 
with Mr. Boulenger's description of the species drawn up from Southern Syrian 
specimens, for much the same reasons as those mentioned under Zamenis dahlii. 
1 Legons Phys. et Comp. Anat. vi. p. 225. 
- Proc. Zool. Soc. 1895, pp. 812-826, ph. xliv. & xlv. 
2o 
