1. CAirstrs. 467 



■Snout prominent, more or less turned up 

 at the end ; scales in 17 rows ; ventrals 

 113-125 ; suboaudals 10-18 3. defilippii, p. 469. 



II. Scales in 15 rows ; suboaudals single. 4. lichtensteinii, p. 470. 



1. Causus rhombeatus. 



Sepedon rhombeatua, lAchtenst. Verz. Doubl. Mus. Berl. p. 106 



(1823). 

 Naja V-niffrum, Boie, Isis, 1827, p. 566. 



rbombeata, Schlea. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 483, pi. xvii. figs. 12 & 



"13 (1837). 

 Distichurus maculatus, Hallow. Journ. Ac. Philad. viii. 1842, p. 337, 



pi. xix. 

 Causus rhombeatua, Gray, Cat. p. 33 (1849) ; Dum. Sr Bibr. vii. 



p. 1263 (1854) ; Salhw. Proc. Ac. Philad. 1854, p. 101 ; Peters, 



Reise n. Mossamb. iii. p. 144 (1882) ; Boettg. Ber. Sench. Ges. 



1887, p. 63, and 1888, p. 88 ; Stejneg. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xvi. 



1893, p. 735 ; Bocc^e, Herp. Angola, p. 145 (1895). 

 Aspidelaps rhombeatua, Jan, Rev. ^ Mag. Zool. 1859, p. 511 ; Boettg. 



Abh. Senck. Ges. xii. 1881, p. 399. 



Snout obtuse, moderately prominent. Rostral rounded, ita upper 

 portion forming a right or obtuse angle behind and measuring one 

 balf to two thirds its distance from the frontal ; internaaals as long 

 as or a little longer than the prsefrontals, often forming a suture 

 with the loreal ; frontal once and a half to once and three fourths 

 ■ss long as broad, as long as or longer than its distance from the end 

 of the snout, longer than the parietals ; two or three praeoculars, 

 one or two postoeulars, and one or two suboculars separating the 

 eye from the labials ; temporals 2 + 3 or 4 ; six upper labials ; 

 three or four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin-shielda ; 

 posterior chin-shields smaU or indistinct. Scales in 17 to 21 rows, 

 dorsals more or less distinctly keeled. Ventrals 120-155 ; anal 

 entire ; suboaudals 15-29, all or greater part in pairs. Olive or 

 pale brown above, rarely uniform, usually with a dorsal series of 

 large rhomboidal or V-shaped dark brown spots which may be 

 edged with whitish ; usually a large dark ^ -shaped marking on the 

 back of the head, the point on the frontal, and an oblique dark streak 

 behind the eye ; labials usually dark-edged ; lower parts yellowish 

 white or grey, uniform or the shields edged with black. 



Total length 700 millim. ; tail 75. 



Tropical and South Africa. 



a. 2 (So. 19; V. 131 ; C. 21). Gambia. Lord Derby [P.]. 



b. Yg. (Sc. 17 ; V. 138 ; C. 17). Gambia. J. MitcheU, Esq. 



[P.l. 



c. 9 (Sc. 18 ; V. 136 ; C. 19). Axim, Gold G. A. Higlett,Esq. 



Coast. [P.]. 



d. e. Yg. (Sc. 21, 18 ; V. 135, Gold Coast. W. H. Evans, Eaq. 

 125 ; C. 17, 21). [P-1- 



2h2 



