m 
ON THE PHYSIOGNOMY OF SEEPENTS. 
tail prehensile, endued with great power. Head heart- 
shaped, covered on the top with scales of an irregular shape, 
largest toward the point of the muzzle. All the labial 
plates are hollowed by fossettes ; 53 rows of smooth scales. 
Size about six feet. S. 196 + 70. From the river Ama- 
zons to Surinam. 
5. Boa hortulana. — Distinguishable by its slen- 
der form, its very long tail, by a large hollow in its cheek ; 
small fossettes or grooves may also be observed on the 
posterior plates of the lower lip ; the anterior teeth are 
larger than the rest ; head heart-shaped, irregularly 
clothed with scales above ; but one pair of broad frontals, 
two frenals, and one anterior ocular plate ; trunk much 
compressed ; abdomen a little angular, and covered with 
scuta broader than usual in the genus ; 39 rows of long 
smooth scales; reddish brown; a series of broad dark 
spots, orbicular or lozenge-shaped, and of considerable 
size, on the sides ; disposition of the tints little constant ; 
head ornamented with a great number of dark vermicular 
markings. S. 273 -f- 1 1 7. Probably frequents trees, lives 
on birds, and inhabits all Brazil, Surinam, and has also 
been observed in the Isle of St Vincent. 
6. Boa Dussumieri.- — ^From the ancient world, a native 
of a little island near the Mauritius ; form slender ; tail 
long, as in the B. hortulana; but the labial plates are 
without the fossettes. It has 39 rows of carinated scales ; 
the head much elongated, and clothed with scales, except 
the muzzle, which has a pair of plates on its upper part ; 
tail but little prehensile; the rostral is obliquely trun- 
cated ; the eyes lateral ; nostrils narrow, and a little ver- 
tical. S. 238 + 128. Size much less than the South 
American species of Boa. Above brownish grey, with a 
few spots on the nape ; below yellowish. 
7. Boa carinata. — A very small species from the 
Moluccas and New Guinea. Head rather long and de- 
pressed; muzzle angular at the sides, and truncated at 
the end ; these parts covered with scales, with the excep- 
tion of the frenal region and the lips ; nostrils and eyes 
lateral, the last projecting ; abdomen convex, aud covered 
by plates wider than usual ; several long maxillary teeth 
