III. 



HERPETOLOGY. 



By Albert Gunther, M.A., Ph.D., M.D., F.R.S., 

 Keeper of the Zoological Department, British Museum. 



(Plates III., IV.) 



Order OPHIDIA. 1 

 Division Colubrina. 

 Family Colubrim:. 



CORONELLA TRIT^ENIA, Giinther in Oates's Matabele Land, ed. I, 

 App. p. 329, pi. C. (1881). (Plate III.) 



Vertical shield elongate, twice as long as broad, longer than the 

 two frontals together, or than the occipital which is rounded behind. 

 Rostral shield extending on the upper surface of the head ; loreal 

 square ; anteocular large, extending to the upper surface of the head, 

 but not reaching the vertical ; two post-oculars. Eight upper labials, 

 the fourth and fifth entering the orbit, the last small. Two large 

 anterior temporals which are in contact with both post-oculars ; the 

 outer temporals scale-like. Scales in seventeen rows, with a single 

 apical groove. Ventrals 168 ; anal bifid ; sub-caudals 61. Posterior 

 maxillary tooth grooved. Ground colour light olive, with three well 

 defined brown longitudinal bands ; the median one commences behind 

 the occipital and is lost in the middle of the tail ; it occupies the 

 median series of scales, and has a fine yellow line running along its 

 middle ; the lateral band commencesunderneath the canthus rostralis, 

 and is continued to the end of the tail ; it occupies the third and fourth 

 outer series of scales and the adjoining halves of the neighbouring 

 series ; it has narrow black edges ; the outermost series of scales is 

 white like the abdomen, but with a faint brownish line. Lower parts 

 pure white. 



Total length, 19 inches ; the cleft of the mouth measuring six lines, 

 and the tail 3§ inches. 



1 [No exact locality was recorded in the case of the two specimens here described, but, like 

 the rest of the collection, they came from South-East Africa. — Ed.] 



