1915.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 163 



at the angles by a longitudinal stripe on each side, as in Coluber 

 obsoletus lemniscatus Cope. The dorsal spots are 3-4 scales long 

 and cover 8-10 rows of scales. On the 2d-6th rows occurs a lateral 

 row of spots which alternate with the dorsal spots. In the anterior 

 region they become very elongate and linear. In No. 6,136, with 

 two faint dorsal longitudinal bands, this lateral row is connected 

 by a longitudinal band on each side, the band obscuring the spots 

 in the caudal half of the body. Thus, in this specimen, we have 

 the four bands of C. quadrivittatus, but the spots of C. spiloides or 

 C. 0. confinis, in other words, a good C. o. lemniscatus Cope. To 

 add to the confusion, the temporals on one side are 2-3-5 while on 

 the other side they are 2-1-2. Beneath the lateral row of spots 

 occurs another row just above the gastrostegal keel of each side. 

 Each of these spots is opposite a dorsal spot and occupies the first 

 row of scales and the ends of 2 sometimes 3 gastrosteges do\ATi to the 

 gastrostegal keel. Sometimes, however, this lowest row of spots 

 does not alternate with the lateral row and sometimes this lowest 

 row is obscure. The venter in the large specimens is yellowish-white 

 or straw-color (most yello's\dsh in the quadrivittatus-lemniscatus 

 specimen), while the two smallest specimens have it whitish or 

 ashy-white. In some, irrespective of size, the venter in the cephalic 

 fourth or fifth of the body is immaculate, while in others it is with 

 spots like the ground color of the dorsum; the venter posteriorly 

 may be almost solid in color like the dorsum. In some, the chin 

 and throat area may be immaculate yellow, yellomsh-white or white 

 or the gulars may be slightly grayish. In all the infralabials have 

 black borders as have the supralaliials, but the intensity of this color 

 varies. Two specimens have no postocular band at all, one of the 

 smaller ones has it indistinct, another has it on one side and absent 

 on the other and two have it very prominent. Only two have the 

 darker black prefrontal cross band (on posterior margins). The 

 presence or absence of head bands in this assemblage of snakes is 

 too variable and individualistic a character to be of much weight in 

 separating species. Some of our specimens have the head uniform 

 like the body color; others are with distinct head bands. 



Dimensions and Variations. — The six specimens vary in length 

 from 68.7-144 cm., the tail from 12.8-27 cm. or 5.0-6.2 times in the 

 total leng-th. The gastrosteges range from 231-243, or average 236; 

 the urosteges are 71-92 or average 85; anal divided, in No. 6,135 

 entire; the oculars are 1-2, except in No. 6,135 where 1-2 and 2-2, 

 the upper preocular coming from the forward part of a normal 



