142. PYIHONODIPSAS. 4& 



1. Lycodryas sancti-johannis. (PtiiE III. fig. 2.) 



Lycodryas sancti-joliannis, Qiinth. Ann, ^ Mag. N. H. (5) iii. 1879,, 

 p. 218. 



Head much depressed, with broad, truncated snout. Rostral 

 twice as broad as deep, scarcely visible from above ; internasals as 

 long as broad, much shorter than the prsefrontals ; frontal with 

 concave sides, a little longer than broad, as long as its distance 

 from the end of the snout, much shorter than the parietals ; nostril 

 between two nasals ; loreal twice as long as deep ; one praeoeular, 

 forming a suture with the frontal ; three postooulars ; temporals 

 small, scale-like, 2 + 2 or 2 + 3; eight or nine upper labials, fourth 

 and fifth or third, fourth, and fifth entering the eye ; four or five 

 lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are 

 larger than the posterior. Scales in 19 rows. Ventrals 243-258 ; 

 anal divided ; subcaudals 75, the 23 or 24 anterior single. Reddish 

 yellow above, uniform or mottled with brown ; some rather Ul- 

 deflned dark cross-bars may be present on the neck ; lower parts- 

 yellowish, uniform or dotted with blackish. 



Total length 770 mUlim. ; tail 150. 



Comoro Islands. 



a. S (V. 258; 0.?). Johanna. C. E. Bewsher, Esq. [0.1 



(Type.) 



b. S (V. 243 ; 0. 75). Comoro Id.l Sir J. Kirk [C.]. 



142. PYTHONODIPSAS. 



Pythonodipsas, Giinth. Ann. Sr Mag. N. H. (4) i. 1868, p. 425. 



Maxillary teeth 13, third to sixth longest, followed, after a very 

 short interspace, by a large, grooved fang ; second to fifth mandi- 

 bular teeth strongly enlarged, fang-like. Head distinct from neck ; 

 eye moderate, with vertically elliptic pupil ; nostrils directed 

 upwards, pierced between a nasal and a supranasal ; parietals 

 broken up into small shields. Body cylindrical ; scales smooth or 

 very obtusely keeled, with apical pits, in 21 rows ; ventrals rounded. 

 Tail moderate ; subcaudals single. Hypapophyses developed 

 throughout the vertebral column. 



Tropical Africa. 



1. Pythonodipsas carinata. 



Pythonodipsas carinata, Oiinth. Ann. ^ Mag. N. H. (4) i. 1868, p. 426, 

 pi. xix. fig. K ; Bouleng. Ann. ^ Mag. N. H. (6) ii. 1888, p. 140. 



Snout broad, truncate, concave above ; rostral more than twice as 

 broad as deep, scarcely visible from above ; internasals considerably 

 longer than broad, shorter than the prsefrontals ; frontal as broad as 

 the supraocular, nearly twice as long as broad, with concave sides ; 

 one or two small shields between the prsefrontals and the frontal ; 

 several small loreals ; one prseocular, three or four suboculars, and 

 three postooulars ; temporals small, scale-like ; nine upper labials ; 

 four or five lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shields, 



