126 . ON A NEW AFRICAN SNAKE. [Feb. 18, 



5. Description of a New Snake of the Genus PsammopUs, 

 from Cape Colony. By G. A. Boulenger, F.KS. 



[Received February 17, 1902.] 

 (Plate XII.) 



PSAMMOPHIS LEIGHTONI. (Plate XII.) 



Snout once and two thirds as long as the eye, with a shallow 

 concavity in front of the vertex. Rostral a little broader than 

 deep, visible from above ; nostril between three shields ; inter- 

 nasals shorter than the preefrontals ; frontal twice as long as 

 broad, in the middle about two thirds the width of the svipra- 

 ocular, as long as its distance from the end of the snout, slightly 

 shorter than the parietals ; loreal twice as long as deep ; a single 

 prseocular, forming an extensive suture with the frontal ; two 

 postoculars ; temporals 2 + 2 ; eight upper labials, third deeper 

 than second and fourth, fourth and fifth entering the eye ; four 

 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are 

 shorter than the posterior. Scales in 17 rows. Yentrals 156 ; 

 anal divided ; subcaudals 84. Dark brown above ; the middle 

 row of scales black with yellow shafts forming an interrupted 

 light vertebral line ; a yellow lateral streak along the adjacent 

 halves of the third and fourth rows of scales ; the upper half of 

 the fourth scale black ; scales of outer row yellow in front and 

 brown or black behind ; sides of neck with dark ocelli edged 

 with bright yellow ; head dark brown above, with a yellow line 

 along the middle of the snout and another on each side of the 

 frontal shield ; two pairs of yellow spots on the parietal shields ; 

 four yeUow bars on each side of the head, the first on the prse- 

 ocular, the second on the postoculars, the third extending to the 

 upper surface of the head and nearly meeting its fellow on the 

 occiput ; rostral and labials yellow, with black spots ; lower parts 

 yellowish white, with black dots and two bluish -grey longitudinal 

 lines which widen forwards into two bands and unite on the 

 throat. 



Total length 910 mm. ; tail 270. 



A single specimen, from Eerste River Station, 21 miles east 

 of Cape Town, was received by Dr. G. Leighton, of Pontrilas, 

 Hereford, and presented by him to the British Museum. 



In its markings this Snake difiers from all its congeners. It 

 difiers from P. sibilans in having the rostral shield broader than 

 deep, as in F. notostictus, in which the preeocular and the anal 

 are divided. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XII. 



Fsammophis leightoni. Upper, lower, and side views of head and anterior part of 

 body and upper view of middle part of body. Natural size. 



