ON THE SNAKES OF MADAGASCAR. 369 



28. A List of the Snakes of Madagascar, Comoro, Mascarenes, 

 and Seychelles. Bj G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S., F.Z.S.* 



[Received May 12, 1915 : Read May 25, 1915.] 



Index. 

 Geographical : Page 



Madagascar etc., List of the Snakes 369 



Systematic : 



Ophidia. Keys to the identification of the Snakes of Mada- 

 gascar, etc 369 



This list has been prepared on the same lines as the one 

 recently published in these ' Proceedings ' f, and likewise with the 

 help of Mr. F. Kingsbury and M, G. de Witte. The reader is 

 referred to the previous paper for an explanation of the terms 

 used in the keys to the genera and species. 



The fauna of the islands here dealt with is remarkable, not 

 only for its very striking difference from that of the African 

 continent, but also for the absence of Snakes dangerously 

 poisonous to man (Elapine Colubrids, Viperids), with the ex- 

 .ception of the two Sea-snakes which are knoAvn from the western 

 pai"ts of the Indinn Ocean. 



Synopsis of the Families. 



I. Worm-like, with small inferior mouth ; eyes hidden or visible 



under the head-shields; body covered with uniform imbri- 

 cate scales above and beneath TvPHLOPiDiE. 



II. Mouth large ; eyes exposed ; body with enlarged shields beneath (except in 



Sea-snakes, with strongly compressed tail). 

 Frontal and parietal shields absent, or broken up into small 



shields '•■■■ Boid.t;, 



Frontal and parietal shields present Colubkid^. 



Family T Y p h L o P i D .E. 



A single genns. 



1. Typhlops. 



Schneid. Hist. Amph. ii. p. 339 ; Bouleng. Cat. Sn. i. p. 7. 

 Synopsis of the Species. 



I. Pra'.ocular present. 

 A. Eyes distinct. 



a. Snout rounded ; prajocular not much narrower than ocular ; diameter of 

 body 35 to 55 times in total length. 

 Nasal completelj' divided, the anterior portion extending to 

 the upper surface of the head; 20 scales round middle 



of body T.hraminus. 



Nasal not completely divided ; 20 scales round middle of 



body ; prajocular as broad as ocular T. comorensis. 



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

 t " A List of the Snakes of the Belgian and Portuguese Congo, Northern Rhodesia, 

 and Angola," P. Z. S. 1915, p. 193. 



