STENOSTOMA NIGRICANS.—D um . e t B ib .
R e p t il ia .— P l a t e LI. Fig. 4.
S. superne inferneque pallide brunneo-rubra; squamis pallide purpurio-rubro-marginatis; capite antice
cameo ; scuti ocularis parte inferiore portionem labii superioris formante.
Typiops nigricans, Scbleg. Abbild. Amp. pag. 38, PL xxxii. fig. 21—24.
Stenostoma nigricans, Erpet. Gener. par Dum. et Bibron. tom. 8, p. 326.
C o l o u r .— Scales covering the upper and under parts brownish red, each
edged with pale brownish purple-red, the dark spots arranged in longitudinal rows, so that the body both above and below has a finely speckled appearance
the colour at and towards the tail darkest. Head anteriorly pale flesh-
red. In the majority of specimens the preceding are the colours, but specimens
are found in which the middle of the scales are much darker, being liver-
brown or bluish black instead of brownish red; in these the edges are
generally dull lavender-purple. Individuals so coloured served at a distance, almost black. appear, when obF
o rm , &c. Figure slender, body thickest a little posterior to the middle, cylindrical, except towards the head, which, with the anteriormost portion of
the body, is slightly depressed, tail short, rather curved downwards, and armed
at the point with a short conical spine. Muzzle rounded, its edge: slightly
produced; rostral plate anteriorly broad, posteriorly rather contracted and rounded; naso-rostral plate inferiorly broad where it joins the nasal, and
considerably narrower above, where it is in contact with the anterior frontal; nostril situated in the suture formed by the junction of the nasal and naso-
rostral plates. Ocular plate large, irregularly shaped, many angled, its
inferior extremity slightly truncated, and forms a portion of the upper lip,
the part of the lip immediately in front, between lower edge of ocular and
hinder edge of rostral, formed by a somewhat irregular, triangular, labial plate
and a larger one, which lies behind the ocular plate, constitutes the hinder portion of the lip ; the last is of considerable breadth, and extends upwards
till it reaches the lower edge of the parietal, which is also of considerable size. The anterior frontal, the frontal, and the interparietal plates six-sided, and differ only from the scales of the body in being smaller and rather longer
in proportion to their breadth. Vide Plate LIY. figs. 17 to 20. Eyes distinct,
and situated close to where the under edge of the supra-ocular joins the hinder edge of the naso-rostral plate. Length from nose to base of tail 7 inches 6 lines ; length of tail lines.
Inhabits the interior of Southern Africa, and is generally found under large flat stones, or
other bodies lying on the surface of the earth.