138 COLTJBEID^. 



166. TRIMEROEHINUS. 



Coronella, part., Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 60 (1837). 

 Trimerorhinus, Smith, III. Zool. 8. Afr., Rept. (1847). 

 Dipsas, part., Bum. ^ Bihr. Erp. Oin. vii. p. 1133 (1854), 

 Psammophylax, Gunth. Cat. Col. Sn. p. 31 (1858). 

 Psammophylax, part., Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1863, p. 309. 



Maxillary teeth 10 to 12, subequal, followed, after an interspace, 

 by a pair of enlarged grooved fangs, situated below the posterior 

 border of the eye ; anterior mandibular teeth, strongly enlarged. 

 Head distinct from neck ; eye moderate, with round pupil ; nostril 

 crescentic, between two nasals and the internasal. Body cylin- 

 drical ; scales smooth, with apical pits, in 17 rows ; ventrals- 

 rounded. Tail moderate ; subcaudals in two rows. 



Africa south of the Equator ; East Africa. 



Synopsis of the Species. 



Eostral at least as deep as broad j eye as 



long as its distance from the nostril .... 1. rJiombeatus, p. 138. 

 Eostral as deep as broad ; eye shorter than 



its distance from the nostril 2. tritcmiatws, p. 139: 



Eostral slightly broader than deep ; eye 



shorter than its distance from the nostril. 3. variabilis, p. 140. 



1. Trimerorhinus rhombeatus. 



Seba, Thes. ii. pp. 17, 20, 84, pis. xv. fig. 2, xix. figs. 3 & 4, Lsxix. 



fig. 2 (1735). 

 Coluber rhombeatus, Linn. Mus. Ad. Frid. p. 27, pi. xxiv. fig. 2 



(1754), and S. N. i. p. 380 (1766) ; Baud. Pept. vii. p. 119 (1803), 

 Coronella tigrina, Laur. Syn. Pept. p. 87 (1768). 

 Coluber tigrinus, Omel. S. N. i. p. 1113 (1788). 

 Coronella rhombeata, Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 539 ; Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. 



p. 70, pL ii. figs. 14 & 15 (1837). 

 Coelopeltis rhombeata, Wagl. Icon. Amph. pi. xxxii. (1833). 

 Trimerorhinus rhombeatus, Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr., Pept. pi. Ivi. 



(1847). 

 Dipsas rhombeata, Dum. Sf Bibr. vii. p. 1154 (1864). 

 Psammophylax rhombeatus, Ounth. Cat. p. 31 (1868) ; Jan, Arch. 



Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1863, p. 309 ; Bocage, Herp. Angola, p. 108 



(1895). 



oceUatus, Bocage, Jorn. Sc. lAsb. iv. 1873, p. 221. 



rhombeatus, var. trilineatus, Boettg. Ber. Offenb. Ver. Nat. 



1883, p. 156. 

 rhombeatus, var. biseriata, F. Mull. Verh. Nat. Ges. Basel, x. 



1892, p. 202. 



Snout rather prominent, with obtusely angular eanthus. Eostral 

 very variable in shape, at least as deep as broad, frequently much 

 deeper than broad, more or less deeply wedged in between the 

 internasals, which it often entirely separates ; frontal once and two 

 thirds to twice as long as broad, as long as or longer than it» 

 distance from the end of the snout, usually longer than the parietals } 



