1911.] 



NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 



549 



From 1887 to 1893 he was State Geologist of Arkansas, in which position his 

 work was of scientific and economic value. About twenty volumes bear wit- 

 ness to the diligence and ability with which he conducted the exploration of a 

 State until then almost unknown in its geological features. Dr. Branner con- 

 tinued the work after the survey had been disbanded, largely at his own expense, 

 and gave his results to the State, to be published by it for the benefit of its people. 

 In 1892 Dr. Branner became professor of geology at Leland Stanford Jr. 

 University, California; in 1898-99 he was acting President, and in 1899 he be- 

 came Vice-President of the institution. He still holds both positions. After 

 the California disaster of 1906, Dr. Branner was appointed by the Governor a 

 member of the committee to investigate the earthquake, and did much valuable 

 work in this connection. 



Mr. Stewardson Brown made a communication on the expedi- 

 tion of Francis E. Bond to Venezuela in the interest of the Academy. 

 (No abstract.) 



Scale Variations in Stilosoma extenuatum (A. E. Brown). 1 — Dr. 

 Henry Tucker remarked that the type had been described as 

 having the prefrontals fused with the internasals; no loreal, or 

 preocular; internasals extend to supralabials, also enter orbit; 

 parietals extend behind postoculars to fifth labial; nostril in the 

 centre of a single scale; labials, six upper, fifth largest; lower 

 five, fourth largest. Three horizontal temporals. Three pairs of 



Type. 



chin shields. Nineteen rows of smooth lozenge-shaped dorsal scales. 

 Anal entire; body slender; tail short; head not distinct; rostral 

 prominent; ventrals, 223 to 260; subcaudals, thirty-three to forty- 

 four pairs; teeth, ten upper, twelve lower, all smooth; pupil round. 

 Color, silvery-gray, with sixty to seventy irregular dark brown 

 dorsal blotches with narrow blackish borders, ten to twelve on tail; 

 interspaces mottled with pale red; belly blotched with black, which 

 extends on sides and often breaks, so forming lateral spots; the 

 scales on sides are finely spotted with black; a dark patch on parie- 

 tals; a small one on each side of neck; a dark postocular streak; 

 fore part of chin and head peppered with black. 



The following descriptions are based on six hitherto undescribed 

 specimens from Lake Kerr and Norwalk, Marion County, Fla., 

 in the collection of the late Dr. Arthur E. Brown. Color scheme in 

 all, same as in the type. Scales smooth, in nineteen dorsal rows; 



l A. E. Brown, Proc. Acid. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1890, p. 199. 



