DENDROPHIS (PHILOTHAMNUS) NATALENSIS.
irregularly three-sided, the inner nearly straight, the hinder edge much
narrower than the anterior one, and irregularly rounded. Nasal plate behind
crescent shaped; frenal plate quadrangular and oblong; ante-ocular plate
narrow, widest superiorly where it is in contact with the palpebral plate.
Plates of the upper lip, exclusive of rostral, nine, the first five small and
quadrangular, the rest large and four-sided ■ the first of the latter, or the
sixth from the rostral, has an elbow projecting upwards behind the eye.
Plates of lower lip, exclusive of mental, ten, the fourth larger than the three
in front of it, and the fifth much the largest; from this they decrease in size
to the angle of the mouth. Post-ocular plates two; temporal plates four, in
pairs, the hinder pair the largest. Eyes large, pupil circular. Scales of the
hindhead and back, near to the head, small, subovate, or somewhat six-sided,
and irregularly disposed ; more distant from the head they are arranged in
oblique transverse rows, each row, towards the middle of the body, consisting
of fourteen scales. Towards the head the scales are narrow, rather lengthened,
and subovate, or imperfectly diamond-shaped ; further back they are broader,
and when viewed in one direction, appear six-sided, the hinder side being
very short—when in another, subquadrangular, with the anterior and posterior
sides oblique, and the hindermost portion of the posterior side truncated.
Towards the tail they increase considerably in breadth, and are more distinctly
six-sided; on the tail they are broad, rather short, and rhomboidal.
The abdominal plates are slightly keeled towards each extremity ; the sub-
caudal scales more strongly toward their outer end ; the hinder edge of each
abdominal plate slightly emarginate at the posterior extremity of the keel.
Abdominal plates 151. Subcaudal scales 114. Length of specimen described,
from nose to anus, 21 inches; of tail, 11 inches 3 lines.
Frequents shrubs and trees at and in the neighbourhood of Port Natal. It climbs with
facility, and is rarely seen on the ground: it is reputed to feed on insects and small birds.
This species presents no dark variegations like those observed on Dendrophis semivariegata
(Plates L IX and LX ). The plates of the head, particularly the frontal, are very diL
ferent, and the eye, in proportion, is much larger. Besides these, many other differences
will be observed, on carefully examining the outline figures. Plate LX IV . Fig. l, the
upper surface of the head of Dendrophis semivariegata, la, the under surface of the lower
jaw, and is, the side of the head ; 2, 2», and-2b the same parts of Dendrophis Natalensis ;
3, 3 a, and 36, the same of Dendrophis albo-variata.