CYRTOPHIS, Sundewall, n. g.
Ch. Gen. Head short and deep. Nose covered anteriorly by a very larg'e raised rostral plate.
No frenal plate. Nostril formed by naso-rostral and three smaller plates. Preocular plate, one; postocular
plates, three. Body subcylindrical. Scales of body subcarinated, and arranged in oblique,
transverse rows. Scuta of abdomen narrow and very long. Tail short and tapered. Pupil circular.
Teeth—one poison fang in each side of maxilla; the palatal teeth small and numerous.
CYRTOPHIS SCUTATUS, Sundewall
Head subcordiform, slightly broader than the neck. Body subcylindrical. Abdomen rather
full and broad. Tail short, tapered, and pointed. The upper and lateral parts of the bead are convex;
the hinder surface flat. The rostral plate is somewhat cordiform, very large, and, to appearance, loosely
attached to the other parts of the head ; its edges project laterally in front of the naso-rostral plates,
and its apex is in contact with the fronto-nasal plates. Naso-rostral plates small and triangular, the
outer edge of each forms the upper margin of the nostril; the remainder of nostril formed of three
plates, an anterior, posterior, and middle, the latter small, the others lengthened vertically j frontonasal
plates somewhat five-sided. Frontal-plate six-sided, approaching to cordiform. Occipital plates
irregularly five-sided. Palpebral plate broad posteriorly, narrow and pointed anteriorly. Preocular
plate quadrangular; postocular plates four-sided and small. Plates of upper lip six, the fifth and last
divergent, to admit of the lodgment between them of the lower edge of large cheek plate. Plates of
lower lip seven, exclusive of mental ; the latter small and triangular. Submental plates two pairs ;
a few small scales between them and the first abdominal shield. Scales of body, along centre of
hack, subrhomhoidal, more laterally suhovate, and arranged in oblique transverse rows, 19 scales in
each row. Towards and on the tail the scales are distinctly keeled towards their base, elsewhere they
appear smooth; hut were the outer covering present, they would also be slightly keeled. Abdominal
plates narrow, and very long, especially at the throat, which is very full. The upper and lateral parts
of the head, the back, the sides, and the tail, superiorly straw-yellow (perhaps red, when alive)
variegated with liver-brown. The variations are a large cordiform blotch on the upper surface of the
head, with a prolongation at its base, on each side, which extends to the angle of the mouth, a spot on
the upper lip, immediately below the eye, a stripe on the lower lip, near the angle of the mouth; an
irregular ring round the neck, widest superiorly; a larg'e oval blotch bifid posteriorly on vertebral
hue; a series of small, somewhat circular freckled spots along the middle of the back and tail, and
a number of very short lines on each side. Under parts cream-yellow. Abdominal plates, 135;
subcaudal scales, 24 pairs. Length from nose to base of tail, 6 inches 9 lines; length of tail 1 inch.
Inhabits Kaffirland and the country towards Port Natal.
B A T H A C H IA .
RANA FUSCIGULA, Dwn. et Bib. Erpet. General, tom. viii. p. 386.
Common throughout the whole of Southern Africa, and is generally observed near rivers, lakes,
or marshy grounds. If disturbed while on land, it immediately retreats to the water, and individual
are often captured in it by means of fish-hooks baited with flesh. In the vicinity of Cape Town
specimens are to be procured in abundance.
PYXICEPHALUS DELALANDII, Tsckudi, Classif. Batrach, Mem. Societ. Nat. Neuch, t. ii. p. 84.
Bum. et Bib. Erpet. Gener. tom. viii. p. 445, pi. 87, fig. 1, i a, i b.
Occurs throughout the whole of Southern Africa, but nowhere abundantly. I obtained
specimens close to Cape Town, and others near to the Tropic of Capricorn.
PYXICEPHALUS NATALENSIS, n. s.
Figure oval. Head rather small; hindhead not so wide as the body. Nose narrow, and
nearly pointed; palpebral shield prominent and convex; rostral canthus obtuse; nostril in the line of
the canthus, about midway between eye and apex of nose. Tongue subcircular; hinder half free and
deeply bifid. Eyes large. Tympanum circular; moderately large, and situated immediately under
and behind the external angle of eye; its surface slightly rugose or subgranular. Back convex; sides
protuberant and arched; hinder extremity of body contracted. Anterior extremities short, rather
slender, and of equal thickness : toes free; the first, or outermost; and the third of equal length; the
innermost slightly longer; the second considerably longer. Hinder extremities long and moderately
robust; toes connected at base by a rudimentary web; the outermost toe not quite so long as the
.second; the fourth considerably shorter; the innermost, or fifth, very short; the second double the
length of the first; and each with a globular tubercle under each joint. Skin generally smooth;
hinder part of back, and posterior, and under surface of thighs, granular. The ground colour of the
upper surface of the head, the back, the sides, and the outer surface of the extremities, intermediate
between yellowish white and yellowish gray, or a rusty yellowish gray, and variegated slightly with
blackish green; the variegations are a blackish green band, which surrounds the nose and extends along
each side nearly to the hinder extremities, a short narrow transverse line on the anterior part of the
back, and a longitudinal one of the same kind on the middle of the back; broad transverse bars on the
outer surface of the extremities, and a curved dotted band across the posterior part of the back, the
extremities of which join the lateral band described as continued from the nose; in some specimens
this appears a continuation of the band just mentioned, but, instead of being continuous, consists of
small spots. Under surface of body, and inner surface of extremities, pale ochre-yellow. Length
from nose to anus, 1 inch 9 lines; of anterior extremities to the point of the longest toe, 10 lines ; of
posterior extremities, 2 inches 1 line. In this species the head in front of the eyes is considerably
longer, and narrow in proportion, than in PyxzcepTialus Belalandii; the position of the nostril is
different; and the body, for its length, is much less-bulky.
Inhabits the country to the eastward of the Cape Colony, more particularly the districts in the
neighbourhood of Port Natal.
STENORHYNCHUS, n. g.
Ch. Gen, Teeth of upper jaw small and thinly set. Tongue large, ovate, and slightly bifid
behind; the last third free. No palatal teeth. Tympanum invisible. Opening of Eustachian tubes
very small. Back and sides warty. Toes of anterior extremities free; of posterior, half-webbed.