served by Mr. James Hunter, R.N., who accompanied Captain King as
surgeon during the Mermaid's third voyage, and has been presented by him
to the British Museum.

7. Disteira doliata. Lacepede, Ann. de Museum, D'Hist. Nat. 4 199. 210.
Enhydris doliatus, Merrem, Syst. Amph. 140.
Icon. Lacep. Ann. Mus. 4 t. 57. f. 2.

The series of small hexagonal shields on the abdomen of this curious
animal appears to be formed of two series of scales united laterally. The
length of the specimen brought home by Captain King exceeds four feet.
The figure by M. Lacepede seems to be too short, but his description
agrees admirably with our specimen, which has been presented to the
British Museum.

8. Leptophis* punctulatus (n.s.).
N. squamis laevibus apice uni-indentatis, spinae dorsalis triangularibus;
cauda quadrantali, tenui, squamis aequalibus.

(*Footnote. I have adopted Mr. Bell's manuscript name for this genus
since his paper was read at the Zoological club of the Linnean Society,
before the publication of my genera of Reptiles in the Annals of
Philosophy, where I erroneously considered it as synonymous with Dr.
Leach's genus Macrosoma instead of my Ahaetulla. J.E.G.)

Scales uniform, pale brown, with a minute black dot impressed on the
apex: body slender, compressed: abdominal scutae rather broad. The series
of scales on the side next to the ventral plates ovate and blunt; those
on the sides narrow, linear, in five series; the series of scales along
the centre of the back long, triangular. This arrangement of the scales
gradually assumes a uniform appearance on the neck close to the head,
where they are ovate. Head rather long with nine plates, frontal plate
being divided; the snout very blunt, truncated; the upper central labial
scale octangular, with a deep concavity on the labial margin; the
anterior and posterior mental scales long. The tail one-fourth the length
of the body, covered with uniform ovate quadrangular scales. Length, four
feet.

This species appears to have a considerable affinity to the genus named
Macrosoma by Dr. Leach, but not described by him, and is very much like
Coluber decorus of Shaw. It belongs to the group called by English
Zoologists, Whip Snakes.

The specimen above described was taken by Mr. James Hunter, at Careening
Bay, on the north coast, and presented by him to the British Museum.

9. Leptophis spilotus.
Coluber spilotus, Lacepede, Ann. Mus. iv 209.

A specimen of this snake was brou