influence over their destinies ; and affirm that no person has ever been known to maltreat it without sooner or later paying for his audacity." 3. Hortedia. Upper and lower labial shields deeply pitted ; muzzle and forehead with symmetrical shields ; nostrils lateral. There are three species natives of H. Natalensia (Python Natalensis, Andrew Smith), the Natal Rock Snake. It has two pairs of front upper labial shields pitted, with two or three supra-ocular shields.
Dr. Andrew Smith, in his Illustrations of South Africa' gives a very beautiful figure of Python Natalensis ; and he states that this snake, or at least one resembling it iu size, was formerly an inhabitant of the districts now within the Cape Colony, and that the traditions of the older Hottentots abound with instances of its miraculous powers. "At present," he says, " it is not to be found within hundreds of miles of the boundaries of the colony, and few specimens have been obtained nearer than Port Natal." He informs us that it occasionally attains a very large size, and according to the natives, individuals have been seen whose circumference was equal to that of the body of a stout man. Dr. Smith himself saw a skin which measured twenty-five feet, though a portion of the tail part was deficient. " It feeds," he says, " upon quadrupeds, and for some days after swallowing food it remains in a torpid state, and may then be easily destroyed. The South Africans however seldom avail themselves of ridding themselves of a reptile they view with horror, as they believe that it has a certain IL Seta; (Coluber &Lir, Gmelin, Python bivittatua, Kuhl), the Guinea Rock-Snake and Fetish Snake, closely resembles the last in many points of structure. It is a native of western Africa, and speci mens in the British Museum have been obtained from Ashantee, Ganibia and the Gold Coast. There is a living specimen in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, estimated to weigh one hundred weight.
H. regia (Boa regia, Shaw, Python regius, Dumeril), the Royal Rock-Snake, distinguished from the last two by the four pairs of front upper labials being pitted, the supra-ocular plate single, the lower labial shields broad, four. It is an inhabitant of Gambia, in western Africa. It is of a black colour, marked on the middle of the back with a series of oblong longitudinal white spots ; the sides with a series of very large white spots, with one or two oblong black spots on their upper part ; the bead black, with a streak over the nostrils and the top of the eyes, another from the lower edge of the eye ; the lips, chin, and beneath white.
4. Limas. Upper and lower labial shields pitted ; muzzle and space between the eyes shielded. This genus includes various species of Python of other authors. Dr. Gray describes four : L. aniethystinus, the Liasia; an inhabitant of New Ireland.
L. II-facklotii, Maeklot's Liaais, an inhabitant of Timor and Samao. Neither of these is in the British Museum.
L. Childrenii, Children's Liasia, an inhabitant of North-Western Australia. Oue specimen in the British Museum is from Port Essington.
L. oliracea, the Lisalia, also a native of Australia. Specimens have been brought from Port Essington and Sir Charles Hardy's Island.
5. Nardoa. Lower labial shields pitted ; crown with eleven symmet rical shields. Of this genus there are two species, N. Schlegelii, the Nanloa of New Ireland, and N. Gabe-HU, Gilbert's Nardoa, a native of North Australia.
b. Subcaudal plates entire, one-rowed ; intermaxillary or incisive teeth none ; supra-orbital bone none.
* Scales smooth ; labial shields pitted.
6. Epicrales. Forehead with symmetrical shields ; crown scaly. The species are natives of America and the West Indies.
E. angulifer, the Pale-Headed Epierates, is a native of Hayti. Cenchria (Boa Cenchria, Linnaeus, L'unectes Abozna, Cuvier), the Abomit It is one of the largest of the family, and somethnea attains • gigantic aim It is of a yellowish colour, with a row of large brown rings running the whole length of the back, and variable spots 7. Xiphosoma. Forehead and crown scaly ; muzzle with regular shields; labial plates short and all pitted. There is but one species on the sides. These are generally dark, often containing a whitish semi-lunar mark. This species, according to Seba, who describes it as 31exican, in the Temacuileahuillia (or Tamacuilla IiuIlla, as Seba writes the word) described by Hernandez. This species haunts the marshy places of the warm parts of South America ; there, adhering by the tail to some aquatic tree, they suffer the anterior part of the body to float upon the water, and patiently wait to seize upon the quadrupeds which come to drink.