COMPENDIUM OF OEXERIC DISTINCTIONS. 



613 



Germs. Hydrophis. — Head short; nasal shield four-sided; 

 rostra] shield five-sided and with three teeth below. Tail com- 

 pressed. Asia. 



Genus. Acrochordus. — Head scaled, eyes surrounded by 

 series of little scales. Body spindle-shaped, with three cuspid 

 scales. Tail conical and tapering. Java. 



Section II. — Abdomen rounded beneath, with broad shields. 

 Tail conical and tapering. 



r Genus. Erpetox.— Scales keeled; nostrils in a ring of small 

 scales. Tail scaled beneath. 



Genus. Cerberus. — Head shielded, scaled above; nostrils in 

 centre of shield. Scales of body keeled and grooved. Asia. 



Family. BOIDJE. — Hinder limbs developed under skin, and 

 protruding in form of a horny spur on each side of the base of 

 the tail. Tail short. 



Section I. — Tail strong and prehensile. Muzzle blunt, head 

 distinct. 



Genus. Morelia. — Crown of head with scale-like plates. 

 Deep pits on lip-shields. Pupil of eye elliptical and erect. 

 Plates under tail two-rowed. Australia. 



Genus. Python. — Crown of bead shielded to behind eyes, 

 rest scaled. Pits on lip-shields. Pupils of eyes linear and erect. 

 Plates under tail two-rowed. India. 



Genus. Hortulia. — Head with irregular scales, shielded in 

 front of forehead and on muzzle. Pits on lip and rostral shields. 

 Plates under tail two-rowed. Africa. 



Genus. Epicrates. — Scales smooth, plates under tail one- 

 rowed. Crown of head scaly. America. 



Genus. XlPHOSOMA. — Lip-plates short and all pitted. Rest 

 as in Epicrates. America. 



Genus. Boa. — Scales smooth. Lip-shields short, not pitted. 

 ^ Crown of head scaled; nostrils at sides, between two plates. 

 America. 



Genus. Eunectes. — Crown with irregular shields; nostrils 

 between three plates. America. 



Genus. Chilabothrus. — Crown of head with regular shields; 

 nostrils between three scales. Jamaica. 



Section II. — Tail very short, rarely prehensile. Head short 

 and indistinct. 



Genus. Tortrix. — Seven shields on head. Pupil of eye 

 circular and covered with a plate, transparent in centre. Scales 

 smooth. One row of plates under tail. Spurs very small and 

 sunk in pits. Tropical America. 



Sub-Order. COLUBRIN^.— Abdomen with broad, band- 

 like plates. Spurs none. Both jaws toothed. Tail conical 

 and tapering. 



Section I. — No grooved or perforated fang in front of the jaw. 



Family. CALAMARED.ffi.— Body cylindrical. Head not dis- 

 tinct from neck, gape small, nostrils small. No keels on plates 

 of abdomen. 



Genus. Conocephalus. — Scales above keeled, in seventeen 

 rows. Two rows of plates under tail. Head conical and nar- 

 row. Teeth equal and smooth. America. 



Family. COROFELLIDiE — Belly fiat, back broad. Head 

 rather fiat, shields of head regular. Front teeth shortest. 



Genus. PsammophylaX. — Rostral shield not protruding, 

 rounded, and with a long process pointing backwards. South 

 Africa. 



Genus. Coroxei.i.a. — Rostral shield moderate; muzzle short, 

 rounded; and flat above. Last maxillary tooth smooth or 

 grooved, and rather larger than the others. Most parts of 

 world. 



Family. NATRICIDiE.-l'. ,dv rather stout. Tail distinct. 

 Head broad and distinct from neck, muzzle rounded. Gape 

 wide. No keels on plates of belly. 



Genus. Tropidoxotus. — Scales of back keeled. Muzzle 

 rather narrow. Last maxillary tooth longest. Frontal scales 

 narrow. Most parts of world. 



Genus. Heterodox. — Body short and thick, head short and 

 flat; rostral shield with a sharp ridge above. America and 

 Madagascar. 



Family. COLUBRINiE. — Body moderate, tail tapering. 

 Shields of head irregular. Scales oval, overlapping, and nearly 

 equal. Two rows of scales under tail. Teeth not grooved. 



Genus. Coluber. — Rostral shield moderate and rounded. 

 Body with rounded back. Teeth equal. Europe, Asia, and 

 North America. 



Genus. Coryphodox. — Teeth of jaws increasing in size be- 

 hind and smooth. Asia, Africa, and America. 



Family. DBYADIDJE.— Body very long; tail long and grad- 

 ually tapering. Head distinct from neck. Shields of head 

 regular. Scales long and lancet-shaped; two rows beneath the 

 tail. 



Genus. Herpetodryas. — Body slightly compressed. Two 

 nasal shields. Teeth equal and smooth. America. 



Genus. Cyclophis. — Body rounded; one nasal shield. Teeth 

 equal and smooth. East Indies and North America. 



Genus. Philodryas. — Hinder jaw-teeth grooved. South 

 America and Madagascar 



Genus. DromiCDS. — Hinder jaw-tooth separated from others 

 by a space, longest and not grooved. West Indies and South 

 America. 



Family. RACHIODONTIDJE.— Tail tapering, head short and 

 high, snout short and blunt. One nasal shield, one anterior and 

 two posterior oculars; those on crown small and regular. Scales 

 keeled, lancet-shaped. Throat-teeth formed by processes of neck 

 vertebrae. Africa. 



Genus. Dasypeltis. — As family. 



Family. DENDROPHXDJE — Body very long and slender, 

 rather five-sided. Upper jaw longer than lower. Shields of 

 head long anil regular. Scales very narrow. 



Genus. Bucephalus. — No keels on plates of abdomen. Head 

 stout, eyes very large. Africa. 



Genus. Ah.ktii.lv. — Slight keels on plates of abdomen. 

 Head long, crown flat. Africa and South America. 



Family. DRYIOPHID^. — Body very long and slender; head 

 long, narrow; snout lengthened. Upper jaw much longer than 

 lower; rostral shield protruding. Scales narrow. 



Genus. Dryiophis. — Snout pointed, rostral solid. Africa, 

 Asia, and .South America. 



Genus. Passerita. — Snout with short flexible appendage. 

 India. 



Genus. Laxgaha. — Snout with long and scaly appendage. 

 Madagascar. 



Family. DIPSADIDiE — Body slender and compressed. Head 

 short and mostly triangular, sometimes squared. Shields of 

 crown blunt. 



Genus. Eudipsas. — Head flat and triangular. Scales large 

 over vetebrne. Front teeth of jaws and palate longest. South 

 America and East Indian Islands. 



Family. ELAPIDiE.— Head mostly squared, snout short, 

 crown fiat. No loreal shield. Scales smooth. Grooved fangs 

 immovable. 



Genus. Buxgarl's. — Scales over vertebra? hexagonal. East 

 Indies. 



