203. ELACHISTODON. 263 



the oral margin. Rostral broader than deep, the portion visible 

 from above about half as long as its distance from the frontal ; 

 internasals shorter than the prsefrontals ; frontal once and one 

 third to once and a half as long as broad, as long as or longer 

 than its distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the 

 parietals ; one prieocular, in contact with the posterior nasal ; one 

 or two postoculars ; a single temporal ; seven upper labials, third 

 and fourth entering the eye, sixth or fifth and sixth in contact with 

 the parietal ; four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin- 

 shields, which are a little longer than the posterior. Scales in 15 

 rows. Ventrals 138-158 ; anal entire ; subcaudals 36-45. Dark 

 olive-grey above, the scales more or less distinctly edged with black ; 

 ventrals and suTDcaudals yellowish, olive-grey, or yellowish dotted 

 or spotted with grey, the spots sometimes forming a median series. 



Total length 540 millim. ; tail 75. 



West Africa, from Liberia to the Congo. 



a. 2 (V. 158 ; C. 41). W. Africa. Mr. Rich [0.]. (Type.) 



b-d. 2 (V. 154, 150, 151 ; W. Africa. J. 0. Salmon, Esq. [P.]. 



0. 37, 37, 36). 



e. c? (V. 144 ; 0. ?). Lagos. Sir A. Moloney [P.]. 



/. 2 (V. 141 ; C. 44). Niger. J. W. Crosse, Esq. [P.]. 



ff. cJ (V. 138; 0. 45). Gaboon. 



h-k. (J (V. 139, 140; Cette Oama,Gaboon. 



C. 44, ?) & yg. (V. 



156 ; C. 41). 



/. ? (V. 155 ; C. 37). Mouth of the Loango. Mr. H. J. Duggan [C.]. 



Subfam. 6. ELAGHISTODONTIN^. 



Only a few teeth on the posterior part of the maxillary and 

 dentary bones and on the palatines and pterygoids. Some of the 

 anterior thoracic vertebrae with the hypapophysis much developed, 

 directed forwards, and capped with enamel. 



A single genus, the opisthoglyphous analogue of the aglyphous 

 Basypeltis. 



203. ELACHISTODON. 



Elachistodon, Xteinh. Overs. Bansk. Vid. Selsh. Fork. 1863, p. 206 ; 

 Bmilmg. Faun. Ind., Rept. p. 362 (1890). 



Maxillary and mandible edentulous in front; two minute maxillary 

 teeth followed by a pair of small grooved teeth ; eight mandibular 

 teeth. Head scarcely distinct from neck; eye rather small, with 

 vertically elliptic pupil; posterior nasal deeply concave. Body 

 elongate, somewhat compressed ; scales smooth, in 15 rows, ver- 

 tebral row enlarged. Tail short ; subcaudals in two rows. 



Bengal. 



