1888.] FROM EaUATORIAL AFRICA. 51 



8. Neusterophis atratus, Ptrs. (1877). — This example 

 possesses one aiiteocular only. The species is new to the collection 

 of the British Museum. 



9. Ahaetulla EMiNi, sp. H. — Ventral shields without keels, 151 ; 

 anal bifid ; upper labials 9, the 4th, 5th, and 6th entering the orbit ; 

 1 anteoeular, 2 postoculars ; 6 of the lower labials are in contact 

 with the chin-shields ; loreal not twice as long as broad ; temporal 

 shields 1+2; scales smooth, in 15 rows. Head of moderate size, 

 not elongate or depressed ; body and tail moderately slender. 

 Uniform green ; skin between the scales black, each scale with a 

 white spot on the basal half of its outer margin. The specimen 

 measures 29 inches, the head being f, and the tail 10 long. 



10. Dasypeltis scabra, L. 



11. PsAMMOPHis siBiLANS, L. — Three Specimens. 



t2. Atractaspis IRREGULARIS, Reinh. — This species has invari- 

 ably the subcaudals divided into "scutella" — a term which evidently 

 has been misunderstood by Peters, who persisted in applying it to 

 undivided subcaudal shields, properly "scuta," Peters using the term 

 of squama for the former. A renewed study of the species of this 

 genus has also shown me that the doubts which Peters cast upon them 

 can only have arisen from the incomplete materials at his disposal. 



13. Atractaspis aterrima, Gthr. — The specimen is very much 

 shrunk and possesses 299 ventral shields, the type having 274. 



FROGS. 



14. Rana occipitalis, Gthr. 



15. Rana mascareniensis, D. B. — Two specimens. 



16. BuFO regularis, Reuss. — Two specimens. 



17. Rappia cinctiventris. Cope. 



Of these 1 7 Reptiles and Frogs, 9 are almost generally distributed 

 over the African Region ; of the remainder 7 are known from various 

 parts of "West Africa, whilst not a single species known to be peculiar 

 to East Africa is included in this collection. Although it might 

 thus aj)pear that the Reptilian Fauna of the Upper Congo is rather 

 West-African than East-African in its character, we must not lose 

 sight of the fact that many species extend right across from the West 

 to the East Coast, and that if in the end the Eastern and Western 

 Reptilian Faunas shovdd prove to be suflSciently distinct to call for 

 the estabhshment of two or more separate zoo-geographical districts, 

 our knowledge of the Reptiles of the central parts is at present much 

 too fragmentary to assist in fixing the boundary line between such 

 districts. 



4* 



