200 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



sent to me for examination a number of snakes and other 

 reptiles which had been collected by the missionaries in Old 

 Calabar. Among several very interesting species I observed 

 a new genus of the family Boidm, which I have great pleasure 

 in laying before the Society, more especially as it appears to 

 be the indication of a new tribe in that curious family. 



" This animal belongs to the second section of the family 

 which is thus characterised : — 



" II. Tail very short, not, or only very slightly, prehensile. 

 Head indistinct, short. 



" It is entirely distinct from the tribes Cylindrophina, 

 Carinina, and Tortricina, and therefore I propose to form for 

 it a tribe (Caldbarina) by itself, having the same characters 

 as the genus. 



" Calabaria. 



" Head small, short, rounded in front, the same size as the 

 body; muzzle depressed, rounded; labial shields flat, j^jj ; the 

 hinder small, front moderate ; rostral shield high, large, tri- 

 angular; frontal shields, three pairs, band-like, subsimilar, 

 followed by a band-like shield continued from side to side, 

 which has behind it a small subtrigonal shield on each side, 

 with a central large triangular shield between them on the 

 crown. Eyes surrounded by scales, on the upper edges of the 

 upper labial shields, and the outer edges of the fourth and 

 fifth frontal plates, and with one ocular shield in front, and 

 two smaller behind the eyes ; loreal shield single, small ; 

 pupil circular. Nostril lateral, between two small nasal 

 shields. Body cylindrical. Scales broad, triangular, po- 

 lished, rather sunken and subrugose in the centre. Ventral 

 shields very numerous, band-like, transverse, about half as 

 wide as the diameter of the body. Vent small, with a single 

 preanal shield. Spurs large, distinct. Tail short, as thick 

 as the body, blunt, and rounded at the end. Subcaudal shields 

 broad, band-like, one-rowed, like the ventral shields. 



" I think it probable, when some other specimens have been 

 examined, that the band-like shield extending across from the 

 upper edge of each eye will be found to be composed of three 

 shields like the band behind it, which are here united into 



