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Show 30 ON THE HERPETOLOGY OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. [Jan. 14, 3. Fourth Contribution to the Herpetology of the Solomon Islands \ By G. A. BOULENGER, F.Z.S. [Eeceived December 3, 1889.] (Plate II.) The last collection brought home by Mr. C. M. Woodford comprised a series of Reptiles and Batrachians from Florida Island, or Gela, north of Guadalcanar. Together with examples of the following known species, there was one of another new Snake of the genus Hoplocephalus : - Lizards: Corucia zebrata, Gray, Lygosoma cyanogaster, Less., L. concinnatum, Blgr. Snakes : Enygrus carinatus, Schn., Dendrophis calligaster, Gthr., Dipsas irregularis, Merr. Frogs : Ceratobatrachus guentheri, Blgr., Hyla macrops, Blgr. HOPLOCEPHALUS ELAPOIDES, sp. n. (Plate II. fig. 3.) Body very elongate; head much depressed, with broad, rounded snout; eye very small, its diameter hardly half its distance from the mouth. Rostral much broader than deep, just visible from above; internasals two thirds the length of the praefrontals, which are a little shorter than the frontal; latter shield small, much longer than broad, hexagonal, as long as its distance from the rostral or two thirds the length of the parietals, once and a half as broad as the supraocular ; parietals as long as the praefrontals and frontal together ; posterior nasal forming a suture with the praeocular ; two postoculars, upper a little larger than lower; temporals 1 + 2; seven upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye ; two pairs of subequal chin-shields, anterior in contact with four labials. Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 208; anal entire ; subcaudals 35 pairs. Cream-colour (inspirit), with 22 black bands, broader than the interspaces between them, interrupted on the belly, encircling the tail ; on the posterior three fourths of the body series of small black spots form a lateral streak along each side of the back ; end of snout and ocular region black. Total length 750 millim.; tail 75. A single specimen. This makes the fourth species of Hoplocephalus from the Solomon Group. These four species may be distinguished as follows : - I. Subcaudals single. Scales in 16 rows H. par (Faro). Scales in 15 or 17 rows H. melanurus (Guadalcanar). II. Subcaudals paired; scales in 17 rows. The diameter of the eye nearly equals its distance from the mouth ; frontal nearly as broad as long, twice as broad as the supraocular; ventrals 166 H, woodfordi (New Georgia). 1 Cf. P. Z. S. 1888, p. 88. & ' |
