DENDRELAPHIS 175 



by E. H. Taylor.) (Adult male.) Head very distinct from 

 body; rostral at least one and one-third times as broad as deep, 

 broadly visible from above, its longest suture with anterior 

 nasal; internasals rather large, little longer than wide, the 

 suture formed with nasals a curved line, which is longer than 

 the suture formed with prefrontals ; suture between prefrontals 

 equal to or slightly longer than that between internasals; pre- 

 frontal as long as or a little longer than internasal, very much 

 wider than long, extending down to near the level of middle 

 of eye ; frontal about one and a half times as long as broad, 

 as long as but wider than supraoculars, not as long as its dis- 

 tance from end of snout ; parietals but little longer than frontal, 

 longer than wide ; nasal divided ; anterior part largest and high- 

 est; loreal narrow, long, two and a half to three times as long 

 as wide ; 1 preocular, visible from above, not touching frontal, 

 in contact with 3 labials below; 2 postoculars, upper largest, in 

 contact with parietal ; temporals, 2 + 2 + 2 ; 9 upper labials, 

 fifth and sixth entering eye (on the left side the 2 scales are 

 nearly fused) ; 10 lower labials (9 on one side) , .5 in contact with 

 anterior chin shields, which are much shorter and wider than 

 posterior; mental wider than deep; scales in 13 smooth roAvs, 

 overlapping, disposed obliquely, more or less rectangular (with 

 single apical pits) , arranged in oblique, vertical rows ; outer 

 row of scales very much larger than median, which is scarcely 

 larger than adjoining rows ; ventrals keeled and notched on 

 ends; ventrals 164; anal divided; subcaudals 96, in double 

 rows ; length of eye equal to its distance from nostril ; eye 

 longer than deep. 



Measurevtents of Dendrelaphis terrificus (Peters). 



mm. 



Total length 1,045 



Snout to vent 770 



Tail . 27.5 



Length of head 30 



Width of head 17 



Eye to tip of snout 10 



Length of eye 6 



Color in life. — Bright greenish bronze (when scales are shed 

 in alcohol, bluish green to blue), each scale with a concealed 

 lower portion bright blue, only noticeable when the skin is dis- 

 tended; scales edged for the most part with black, the skin 

 between them also black ; head somewhat darker brown above ; a 

 broad black stripe begins behind eye and continues some distance 

 on side of neck, growing narrower; a zigzag black line borders 



