1905.] AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 225 



Erylhrolamfims and Oxyhelis are likewise South and Central 

 American genera, entering the Tierra Caliente ; e. g. 0. acumhiatus 

 from South America to Motzorongo in Yera Cruz, and through 

 Guerrero to Mazatlan ; it is also on the Tres Marias Islands. 

 E.fissidens extends from Costa Rica along the Atlantic side of 

 Mexico to Tamaulipas and thence into Texas. 



GonopMs, South and Central Amei-ican, with C. vittatus on the 

 Isthmus and in Guerrero. 



Scolecophis. — The few species live in rather high altitudes. 

 S. cemulce in the mountains of Chihuahua ; aS'. michoacensis ; 

 S. atrocincttis at Toluca {fide Cope) and in Guatemala. 



Homcdoo'aniimi, with two dozen species, mostly in South and 

 Central America, whence 8 Mexicans, chiefly on either side of the 

 plateau, and north-eastwai'ds, through JSTuevo Leon into Texas. 



These last two genera are not arboreal. 



Stenorhina, degenhardti from Ecuador into the Atlantic hot 

 country. 



Manolepis j^utnami, hitherto known only from Jalisco, e. g. 

 Cumbre de los Arrastrados, 8000 feet ; I have found it on the 

 Cumbre de los Cajones, south of Chilpancingo, in pine and oak 

 forest, altitude 3000 feet. 



Petcdognathus nehidatus. Of this South and Central American 

 species I found one specimen in the forest of La Raya, south of 

 Cordoba. 



Amblycephalid^. — With a few forms in South-eastern Asia, 

 but many in South and Central America. Of the 20 species of 

 Leptognathus, only L. elegans reaches the Isthmus of Tehuan- 

 tepec. 



Elapin^. — Of the many species of the ISTeoti'opical genus Elaps 

 only 2 or 3 occur in Mexico. The commonest, E . fidvius, ranges 

 from South Brazil far into the Eastern United States. In Mexico 

 it seems to live in the whole southern half, including the plateau, 

 e. g. Mexico and Guanajuato ; it is curious that it has not yet 

 been recorded from anywhere north of a line di'awn from Mazatlan 

 to Guanajuato and Tuxpan, but Cope mentions E. euryxanthus of 

 Arizona from " Chihuahua " and " Sonora." E. elegans seems to 

 range from Guatemala into the Atlantic Tierra Caliente near 

 Jalapa. No Elapine snakes occur in the Antilles. These 

 " Coralillos," although well-known to be poisonous, are not feared 

 because they do not bite unless handled clumsily ; when they bite 

 they do not strike, but chew deliberately like our European 

 Coronella. Although occasionally found basking, they lead a very 

 retired life, preferring vegetation, hiding under i^otten stumps, 

 with a predilection for ants' nests. They are practically nocturnal 

 like nearly all the non-poisonous snakes which possess the same 

 beautiful coloration ; the combination of black and red rings has 

 a most effacing effect in the dusk. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1905, Vol. II. No. XV. 15 



