. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Zoology. No. 3. — Revision of the African Snakes of the Genera Mehelya & Gonionotophis By Arthur Loveridge (with 2 text-figures) The recent receipt by the Museum of Comparative Zoology of several file snakes from Ganta, Liberia, results in the addition of two species to the fauna of that country. It has also resulted in my attempting a revision of the complicated records of the group, in order that I might be able to apply the correct names to our specimens. For the genus Gonionotophis, however, our material was very scant
. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College. Zoology. No. 3. — Revision of the African Snakes of the Genera Mehelya & Gonionotophis By Arthur Loveridge (with 2 text-figures) The recent receipt by the Museum of Comparative Zoology of several file snakes from Ganta, Liberia, results in the addition of two species to the fauna of that country. It has also resulted in my attempting a revision of the complicated records of the group, in order that I might be able to apply the correct names to our specimens. For the genus Gonionotophis, however, our material was very scanty, so I appealed to Mr. H. W. Parker for information on several points. With characteristic generosity he placed at my disposal manu- script notes on this genus which he had made some years ago. As a result I am able to add certain details, as mentioned in the following text, and it is encouraging to find that in every instance we had independently reached the same conclusions regarding synonymy. In consequence of this enquiry I am led to consider the under- mentioned species as synonyms. Simocephalus baumanni Sternfeld = Mehelya guirali (Mocquard) Simocephalus chanleri Stejneger = Mehelya c. savorgnani (Mocquard) Gonionotophis microps Boulenger = Mehelya stenophthalmus (Mocquard) Simocephalus insignis Chabanaud = Gonionotophis brussauxi (Mocquard) Simocephalus rostralis Sternfeld = Gonionotophis grantii (Giinther) From this it will be concluded that the relationship between the two genera, Mehelya and Gonionotophis, is of the closest nature. Between them M. nyassae appears to occupy an intermediate position, as it agrees with Mehelya in generic characters, notably in its dentition. Were this not the case the genera could be separated on the basis of those with over 200 ventrals and those with less than 180. In this respect nyassae, with from 171-179 ventrals, is nearer to Gonionotophis grantii than to any of its relatives in the genus Mehelya. Boulenger (1893b) failed to giv
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