8 
DESCRIPTION OF 
No. VII. 
ANGUIS. 
Squama Abdominales 335 
Squama Subcaudales 40 
Called by the natives Shootur sun. 
The head hardly thicker than the neck, extremely small, oblong, flattish on the 
crown and sides, obtuse. The larger laminae twelve in number. One in front trigonal, 
convex, the pair next behind, oblong square, and perforated by the nostrils, the next 
pair orbicular ; the central lamina between the eyes broad, pentagonal ; the lateral, 
small, roundish ; the semicordate pair long, with a thin lamina near the point, on each 
side. 
The mouth large; the jaws of equal length. A small fang was found in the upper 
jaw, on each side, with three common teeth immediately behind them, disposed rather 
obliquely, in respect to the palatal rows. The rest of the teeth very minute, curve, 
reflex. 
The eyes orbicular. The nostrils nearly vertical. 
The trunk. The neck extremely small, long, round ; the body disproportionately 
thick, the sides declivous, the belly carinate. The tail flat, somewhat curve, round 
pointed. The scales carinate, imbricate ; ovate on the back, on other parts orbicular, 
those on the carina of the belly not larger than the others. 
The length three feet eleven inches ; of the tail four inches and a half; of the head, 
three fourths of an inch. Circumference of the head, one inch ; of the trunk, where 
thickest, (in its collapsed state) four inches three-quarters. 
The colour , a dark blue, intermixed with green. The neck crossed with bands of 
greenish yellow ; and broader bands of the same colour across the sides and the tail. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
In the dimensions of this and the other subjects, allowance must be made for the 
change produced by the spirits. 
A small specimen, measuring in length, one foot two inches one-fourth accompanied 
the large one. It was in every respect completely formed, and coloured like the mother ; 
and one of nine which Mr. Russell found on opening her belly, each contained in a 
distinct egg. 
The common teeth behind the fangs, in this and the three following subjects, is a 
very remarkable circumstance. The only instance I have ever met with of a similar 
anomaly in the teeth, was in the Boa, No. III. of the Coromandel Collection.* 
* P. 3 . The position of the teeth is'distinctly shown in the Anatomical Plate, No. XLV. of that work. 
