164 MISS JOAN B. PROCTER ON THE . 



not with liis L. atrox. He counts 204 and 200 ventrals (v.), 

 67 and 70 subcandals (c). Both descriptions appear to corre- 

 spond with two specimens in the British Museum collection, from 

 Martinique (Cat. Shakes, iii. p. 536, spec. ?■ & s). 



Goluher ^ffl?iceoZ«itts Lacepede, Hist, des Serp. (1789) p. 121, is 

 based on specimens -in the Paris Museum: 228, 225 v., 61, 59 c. 

 Habitat Martinique and perhaps Dominica and Cayenne. Figure 

 worthless, probably from a bleached specimen. Dumeril and 

 Bibron (Erp. Gen. vii. 1854, p. 1505), under Botlirops lanceolatus, 

 do noC give us any particulars concerning the type -specimen, 

 which -they must have examined, but the fact that the " Vip6re 

 jaune de la Martinique," also found in St. Lucia and Dominica, is 

 the form intended. There can be no question as to tlie appli- 

 cation, of the name Imiceolatns, the Fer-de-lance, wdiich must be 

 regarded as a strict synonym of L. atrox of Linnaeus according to 

 Andersson. ' 



Cophias jararaca Wied, Abbild. Nat. Bras. (1825), from 

 E. Brazil, 193-201 v., 59-68 c. The description and figure 

 indicate a snake similar to L. atrox, but with markings consisting 

 of dark brown, darker-edged transverse bands, narrower on the 

 back than on the sides, such as is figured by Jan, in Icon. Oph. 

 47me livr. pi. lii., and corresponding to several examples in the 

 British Museum collection from Rio Janeiro and Para (Cat. Sn. 

 iii. p. 537, spec. ?', p. 539, sj)ec. v). This variety must be the 

 prevalent form in the Province of Bahia, as the following 

 descriptions and figures of Wagler in Spix's Serp. Bras. (1824) 

 are evidently referable to it. Bothrops megcera, p. 5,0, pi. xix. : 

 195 v., 53 c. This figure shows dark olive upper parts with 

 dark, darker-edged transverse bands and immaculate ventrals. 

 B. fioria, p. 52, pi. xx. : 201 v., 65 c. A uniformly coloured 

 specimen which may be taken to have lost its markings. 

 B. leucostigma, p. 53, pi. xxi. fig. 1 : ? v., 66 c. Brownish, with 

 darker transverse bands, ventrals powdered with grey. B. tessel- 

 latus, p. 54, pi. xxi. fig. 2: 190 v., ? c. Dorsal markings as in 

 B. leucostigma, ventrals checkered with brown. B. tamiatus, 

 p. 55, pi. xxi. fig. 3. Colours lighter than the above, transvei'se 

 bands always double. 



Bothrops jararacibssu Lacerda, Leg. sur le ven . des Serp. ( 1 884) p. 9. 

 From the province of Rio de Janeiro. An adequate description 

 of the striking markings of the Jararacussu is given (black above 

 with yellow markings, longitudinal on the head, and oblicjuely 

 pronged forks on the sides, yellow beneath spotted with black). 

 Similar to the B. atrox figured in Jan, Icon. Oph, (47me livr. 

 pi. ii. fig. 3), and to two specimens in the British Museum 

 collection from Sao Paulo, presented by Dr. Brazil. 



Having thus indicated the sources to which I have referred in 

 order to fix the exact meaning of the principal names which have 

 had currency in the past, I will review the various opinions which 

 have been expressed in the principal works on Ophidia. . 



