28 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



[Feb., 



Echidna nocturna (Cope). 



Pcecilophis nocturna Cope, Rep. U. S. Geol. Surv. Hayden, 1871 (1872), 

 p. 474. Rio Grande at San Jose, Costa Rica. 



No. 14,926, A. N. S. P., type of P. nocturnus Cope. 



Echidna chionostigma sp. now Fig. 7. 



Head, 8; depth 15^; head width 3| in its length; head depth If; 

 snout 6; eye 9^; mouth 2f; interorbital 8f ; head 3f to vent. 



Body moderately long, well compressed, trunk of about even 

 depth, belly with lower surface rounded, and long tail tapering back 

 in rather acuminate tip. 



Fig. 7. — Echidna chionostigma Fowler. Type. 



Head well compressed, upper profile rather swollen above with 

 depression above eye otherwise like convex lower, and more or less 

 flattened sides not especially converging above or below. Snout 

 surface and profile convex, basal width 1| its length. Eye rounded, 

 without eyelid, trifle nearer mouth corner than snout tip. Mouth 

 nearly horizontal, not completely closing, moderate. Lips thick, 

 fleshy, minutely papillose. Teeth mostly molar-like, upper anterior 

 to eye largest in same jaw, these in a continuous outer series and 

 median gradually larger series of 3, all erect and obtusely conic. 

 On vomer teeth continued back from anterior upper teeth as an 

 irregular double series of smaller shorter ones. In upper jaw from 

 below front of each eye backward, a somewhat irregular double 

 series of rather slender sharply pointed conic depressible teeth. 

 Mandibular teeth rather short, obtuse, mostly somewhat pointed, 

 and biserial anteriorly where approximated to upper jaw when 

 mandible closes. No tongue. Mandible powerful, well curved, 



