240. HOMORBLAPS. 409 



1. Homorelaps lacteus. 



Seba, Thes. ii. pi. xxxiv. fig. 5, xxxv. fig. 2, xliv. fig. 1 C1735); 



Men: Beytr. i. pi. vi. (1790). 

 •Coluber lacteus, Linn. Mus. Ad. Frid. p. 28, pi. xviii. fig. 1 (1754), 



and S. JV. i. p. 381 (1766). 



domicella, Linn. S. N. i. p. 376. 



•Cerastes lacteus, Laur. 8yn. Sept. p. 83 (1768). 



Coluber guineensis, Bonnat. Enoycl. MHh., Ophiol. p. 20 (1789). 



siamensis, Bound. Zool. Beitr. iii. p. 203 (1798). 



Elaps lacteus, Schneid. Hist. Amph. ii. p. 293 (1801). 

 Vipera lactea, Latr. Rept. iv. p. 29 (1801). 

 Coluber bygeise, Shaw, Zool. iii. p. 487 (1802). 



iphisa, Baud. Rept. vi. p. 416 (1803). 



Elaps hygese, Merr. Tent, p 144 (1820) ; Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. 



p. 446, pi. xvi. figs. 14 & 15 (1837) ; Smith, 111. Zool. S. Afr., 



Jtept, App. p. 21 (1849) ; Bum. Sr Bibr. vii. p. 1213 (1854) ; 



Oiinth. Cat. p. 232 (1858) ; Jan, Icon. Gin. 43, pi. ii. fig. 3 (1873) ; 



F. Mull. Verh. Kat. Oes. Basel, vi. 1878, p. 693. 



punctatus. Smith, Edinb. N. Phil. Journ. i. 1825, p. 264. 



bipunctiger, Bum. ^ Bibr. t. c. p. 1227. 



Poecilophis hygiss, Giinth. Proc. Zool. Soc. 1859, p. 88. 

 Aspidelaps lacteus, Steind. Novara, Rept. p. 78 (1867). 

 Poecilophis lacteus, Peters, Man. Berl. An. 1870, p. 114. 

 Elaps (Poecilophis) hygise, var. chrysopeleoides, F. Miill. Verh. Nat. 



Ges. Basel, viii. 1887, p. 276, pi. ii. 



Eostral broader ttan deep ; internaaals shorter than the prae- 

 •frontals ; frontal not broader than the supraocular, once and a half 

 io twice and a half as long as broad, as long as or a little longer 

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

 -parietals ; one prse- and one postocular; temporals 1+2 ; six upper 

 labials, first and second smaU, third and fourth entering the eye, 

 :fifth in contact with the parietal ; three lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields, which are longer than the posterior. 

 Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 160-209; aijal divided; subcaudals 

 26-42. Coloration very variable, but vertebral line constantly 

 bright yellow, orange or red, even if crossed by black annuli ; head 

 black, with yellow or orange markings, sometimes with two yellow 

 ■dots close together behind the frontal shield. 



Total length 460 millim. ; tail 50. 



South Africa. 



A. Yellowish white, with more or less regular black bars or annuli ; 

 belly black or with a continuous or interrupted black stripe. 

 ((7. lacteus, L., C. Tiygice, Shaw.) 



.a-c. $ (V. 198 ; C. 30) & hgr. Simon's Bay. H.M.S. ' Challenger.' 



(V. 173, 177; 0.38,39). 



Jr-f. S (V. 182; C. 36) & 2 Cape of Good Sir J. MacGregor 



(V. 202, 200 ; C. 33, 31). Hope. [P.]. 



S. Yg. (V. 186; C. 37). Cape of Good Mr. Foi-d [P.]. 



Hope. 



Ji, i. 2 (V. 192 ; C. 33) & hgr. Cape of Good 



(V. 187 ; 0. 32). Hope. 



