DENDROPHIS (PIIILOTHAMNUS) NATALENSIS. 
irregularly three-sided, the inner nearly straight, the hinder edge much 
narrower than the anterior one, and irregularly rounded. Nasal plate behind 
crescent shaped ; frenal plate quadrangular and oblong ; ante-ocular plate 
narrow, widest superiorly where it is in contact with the palpebral plate. 
Plates of the upper lip, exclusive of rostral, nine, the first five small and 
quadrangular, the rest large and four-sided ; the first of the latter, or the 
sixth from the rostral, has an elbow projecting upwards behind the eye. 
Plates of lower lip, exclusive of mental, ten, the fourth larger than the three 
in front of it, and the fifth much the largest ; from this they decrease in size 
to the angle of the mouth. Post-ocular plates two ; temporal plates four, in 
pairs, the hinder pair the largest. Eyes large, pupil circular. Scales of the 
hindhead and back, near to the head, small, subovate, or somewhat six-sided, 
and irregularly disposed ; more distant from the head they are arranged in 
oblique transverse rows, each row, towards the middle of the body, consisting 
of fourteen scales. Towards the head the scales are narrow, rather lengthened, 
and subovate, or imperfectly diamond-shaped ; further back they are broader, 
and when viewed in one direction, appear six-sided, the hinder side being 
very short— -when in another, subquadrangular, with the anterior and pos- 
terior sides oblique, and the hindermost portion of the posterior side truncated. 
Towards the tail they increase considerably in breadth, and are more dis- 
tinctly six-sided ; on the tail they are broad, rather short, and rhornboidal. 
The abdominal plates are slightly keeled towards each extremity ; the sub- 
caudal scales more strongly toward their outer end ; the hinder edge of each 
abdominal plate slightly emarginate at the posterior extremity of the keel. 
Abdominal plates 151. Subcaudal scales 1 1 4. Length of specimen described, 
from nose to anus, 21 inches ; of tail, 11 inches 3 lines. 
Frequents shrubs and trees at and in the neighbourhood of Port Natal. It climbs with 
facility, and is rarely seen on the ground : it is reputed to feed on insects and small birds. 
This species presents no dark variegations like those observed on Dendrophis semivariegata 
(Plates LIX and LX). The plates of the head, particularly the frontal, are very dif- 
ferent, and the eye, in proportion, is much larger. Besides these, many other differences 
will be observed, on carefully examining the outline figures. Plate LXIV. Fig. l, the 
upper surface of the head of Dendrophis semivariegata, la, the under surface of the lower 
jaw, and l b, the side of the head ; 2, 2 a, and 2&, the same parts of Dendrophis Nata/ensis ; 
3, 3 a, and 3 6, the same of Dendrophis albo-variata. 
