302 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OP 



mens had the scale3 in the white cross bands black bordered. In specimens 

 from Fort Yuma, the black so prevails as reduce the bands to series of light dots. 

 Thus this variety is allied to the L. splendidain accordance with the gene- 

 ral resemblance of Lower California reptiles to those of Arizona and Chihua- 

 hua. 



The genus Lampropeltis, denned by Baird and Girard, and distinguished by 

 me from Coronella Laur., at p. 254 of these Proc. for 1860, is separated from 

 the latter genus by a peculiarity not formerly observed. The scale pores are 

 always double ; in Coronella they are single, as correctly indicated by Prof, 

 Reinhardt's table, p. 222, Vidensk. Meddel. Naturhist. Kjobenh. 1860. 



Lampropeliis p o 1 y z o n a Cope, I. c. 

 Mirador Vera Cruz, Dr. C. Sartorius. 



Lampropeltis micropholis Cope, 1. c. 



A specimen in Mus. Smithsonian from Minatitlan Riv. Mexico, exhibits a few 

 more pairs of rings than a Honduras specimen. 



Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus Cope, 1. c. 1860,246. 



Inhabits the southern part of Lower California. Bears some resemblance to 

 the young of Sibon annulatus. 



Hypsiglena torquata Cope. Leptodeira torquata Gthr., Ann. Mag. N. H. 

 1860 (March). 



Inhabits Nicaragua and Laguna Id. A species nearly allied to the preced- 

 ing, differing principally in having a transverse light cellar upon the neck in- 

 stead of three longitudinal blotches. A fourth species from the valley of the 

 Rio Grande del Norte is known to me. The genus Hypsiglena can hardly be 

 regarded as other than Coronelline in form, though so closely allied to Sibon 

 among the Dipsadinae as to be scarcely separable from it. Regarding Sibon 

 annulatus from Surinam as the true representative of that genus, the pre- 

 sent form may be distinguished by the single scale-pores, the ungrooved maxil- 

 lary teeth, the absence of tendency to irregular subdivision of lateral head- 

 plates, and perhaps by the presence of the two preoculars. The species all 

 seem to be of small size. 



Chersodromus liebmanni Reinhardl, Vidensk. Meddel. Naturhist. Kjo- 

 benhavn. 1860, p. 35, Taf. iv. figs. 10, 11. 



This curious serpent, so nearly allied to the Ninias. particularly to N. d i a- 

 d e m at a, has been sent from Mirador, Vera Cruz, in Dr. Sartorius' valuable 

 collection. The union of the postfrontal plates occurs only in the following 

 genera of serpents, so far as I am aware: Temnorhynchu:- Sm. and Prosymna 

 Gray, in Africa. Hydromorphus Pet. Central America; Chersodromus Rhdt. 

 Mexico, and a genus allied to Elapomorphus, from Paraguay. 



Chilomeniscus stramineus Cope, Pr. A. N. S. Phil. 1860, p. 339. 



Inhabits the southern part of Lower California. Specimens in Mus. Smith- 

 sonian and Academy, from Mr. J. Xantus. 



This genus, with Toluca, Stenorbina, Chionactis and Sonora, and perhaps 

 Conopsis, forms a little group, characterized by a very prominent transverse and 

 slightly decurved rostral plate. 



The form graduates into the ordinary Calamarian type. The first mentioned 

 five genera may be thus distinguished : 



I. Prefrontal and nasal plates confluent.* 

 Dentition glyphodont ; scales usually poreless, Stenorhina. 



Dentition isodont ; scales uniporous, Chilomeniscus. 



* To this group belongs Calamaria degenhardtii, Berth. Abhandl. Goettingen, 1847, p 8. 



[Sept. 



