280 SNAKES OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



rarer form. The specimens I collected in Mindanao were found 

 under rotting logs; when exposed to the light they lay quiet, 

 making no endeavor to escape ; when disturbed they began their 

 aimless writhing and jumping. Known from Bunawan, Zam- 

 boanga, Mindanao, and Luzon. The species appears to be con- 

 fined to the Philippines. 



AMBLYCEPHALID^ 



Amblyeephalidie Gunther, Rept. Brit. India (1864) 324; Boulenger, 

 Fauna Brit. India, Rept. (1890) 414; Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 3 

 (1896) 438. 



"Facial bones slightly movable ; prefrontal not in contact with 

 nasal; ectopterygoid (transpalatine) present; pterygoid short, 

 not extending to quadrate or mandible ; supratemporal rudimen- 

 tary ; maxillary horizontal, parallel with or converging posteriorly 

 towards the palatine. Mandible without coronoid bone. Sohd 

 teeth in both jaws. 



"The hypapophyses disappear in the anterior third of the dorsal 

 vertebral column." (Boidenge?:) 



The family contains five genera, two of which are confined to 

 southeastern Asia and the Malay Archipelago, and three are con- 

 fined to Central and South America. Not poisonous. Haplo- 

 peltura is the only Philippine genus. 



Genus HAPLOPELTURA Boulenger 



Dipsas, part., Schlegel, Phys. Serp. 2 (1837) 257. 



Aplopeltura Dumeril and Bibron, Mem. Ac. Sei. 23 (1853) 463; Erp. 



Gen. 7 (1854) 444. 

 Aviblycephalus GfJNTHER, Cat. Col. Snakes (1858) 1S4; Jax, Elenco 



Sist. Ofid. flSeS) 100; Gijnther, Rept. Brit. India (1864) 325; 



Boettger, Ber. Senck. Nat. Ges. (1886) 115; C.IlSTO de Elera, Cat. 



Fauna Filipinas 1 (1895) 438. 

 Hnplopeltnra Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus. 3 (lS9(i) 439. 



"Maxillary bone very short, deep, with five subequal teeth; 

 maxillary and mandibular teeth decreasing in size posteriorly. 

 Head distinct from neck; eye large, with vertical pupil; nasal 

 entire. Body strongly compressed; scales smooth, without pits, 

 oblique, in 13 rows, vertebral row strongly enlarged; ventrals 

 rounded. Tail moderate; subcaudals single." {Boulenger.) 



The genus contains a single species, which has a wide distribu- 

 tion from the Malay Peninsula throughout the Malay Archipelago. 



HAPLOPELTURA BOA (Boie) 

 Plate 34, figs. 7 to 9 

 Amblycephalus boa Boie, Isis (1828) 1034; Gt'NTHER, Cat. CoL Snakes 

 (18.58) 184; Rept. Brit. India (1864) 325; Jan, Icon. Gen. (1870) 



