274 COLTJBEID^. 



teeth small, anterior longest. Head small, not distinct from neck ; 

 ej'e small, with round pupO. ; nostril in a single nasal ; loreal small 

 or absent. Body cylindrical, short ; scales smooth, with apical 

 pits, in 15 rows ; ventrals rounded. Tail short, suhcaudals in two 

 rows. 

 Africa. 



Eg. 19. 



Maxillary and mandible of Homalosoma lutrix. 



Synopsis of the Species. 



I. Ventrals 115-144. 



A. Nasal not in contact with praeocular ; usually two postoculars ; 



frontal as long as parietals .... 1. lutrix, p. 274. 



B. Nasal in contact with prseocular ; one postooular ; frontal 



shorter than parietals. 



Prontal much longer than broad ; suture 



between the intern as als longer than 



that between the prsefrontals 2. sJiiranum, p. 276. 



Prontal scarcely longer than broad; suture 



between the internasals shorter than 



that between the praefrontals 3. abyssinicum, p. 276. 



II. Ventrals 97-110 ; nasal not in contact with prseocular ; two 



postoculars ; frontal as long as parietals. 



4. variegatum, p. 276. 



1. Homalosoma lutrix. 



Coluber lutrix, Linn. S. N. i. p. 875 (1766). 



duberria (Klein), Merr. Beitr. p. 7, pi. i. (1790). 



Elaps duberria, Schneid. Hist. Amph. ii. p. 297 (1801). 



Coluber tetragonus, Latr. Rept. iv. p. 97 (1802) : Baud. Mept. vii. 



p. 207 (1803). 



arctiventris, Baud. t. c. p. 221 ; KuU, Beitr. p. 82 (1820). 



Duberria arctiventris, Fitzing. N. Class. Rept. p. 55 (1826). 

 Calamaria arctiventris, Schleg. Phys. Serp. ii. p. 36, pi. i. fiffs. 24-26 



(1837). 

 Homalosoma arctiventris. Smith, III. Zool. S. Afr., Rept., App. p. 16 



(1849). 

 lutrix, JDum. §• Bibr. vii. p. 110 (1854) ; Gilnth. Cat. p. 20 



(1858) ; Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1862, p. 33, and Icon. 



Ghi. 13, pi. iii. %. 3 (1865). 

 Oyclophis catenatus, Theob. Cat. Rept. As. Soc. Mus. 1868, p. 49. 



