VBTOMOUS SERPElSiTS. 
179 
bit both worlds, and form a natural group, in which we 
may establish several geographical divisions. 
A. American species ; which have the body marked by 
alternate rings of red and black. 
1. El APS CORALLINES. Head slightly conical ; occipi- 
tal plates rather broad ; arrives at a length of four feet or 
more, has the thickness of a man’s finger ; summit of the 
head black, colours very subject to variation, as are also 
the scuta, which in some individuals are 178 + 26, in others 
as high as 222 + 45 ; ground colour red or yellow, with 
white or brown : rings often obsolete, and only recognis- 
able by their white borders. From Brazil to Carolina. 
2. Elaps Lemniscatus. Scarcely distinct from the last. 
Comes from Guyana. Form a little more slender ; eyes 
smaller and less lateral ; a black band between the eyes ; 
rings on the body black, and usually approximated three 
and three. S. 230 -f 36. 
3. Flaps Surinamensis. Easily distinguished by its 
broad, short, depressed head, covered with rather small 
plates, bordered with black ; muzzle obtuse ; form squat, 
the body surrounded with rings approximated three and 
three, of which the middle is very broad ; the dorsal scales 
a little larger than the rest. It arrives at a very large 
size, and inhabits Dutch Guyana. S. 168 + 33, or 182 -f 
37, sometimes six feet long and nearly two inches thick. 
[4. Flaps Jamesoni. — The only specimen hitherto de- 
scribed, is in the possession of the translator. A spe- 
cimen without a head is in the British Museum. This 
beautiful serpent has the general habit of a Coluber : but 
the fangs and complete poison apparatus, as well as the 
nasal fossulse, prove it to belong to the genus Elaps of 
our author ; unless we were to consider it justifiable, for 
a single species, to institute a new genus. The total 
length, 6 feet, 1.5 inches ; length of head, 1.3 inches ; 
body, 4. f. 4.7 inches; tail, 1. f. 7.5 inches. Circum- 
ference of body where thickest, 4.5 inches. Colour above 
fine bluish-grey; where deprived of the cuticle, of a bril- 
liant sky-blue. Scales smooth, large rhomboidal, on pos- 
terior of the body and tail edged with jet black ; lower 
parts yellowish white ; scuta wide ; near anus, and on the 
