1852.] 



181 



PITYOPHIS,* Holbrook. 



PiTYOPHIS AFFINIS. 



Sp. Char. Scales much larger upon the sides than upon the back, where they 

 are comparatively small ; a series of brownish or black subquadrate blotches 

 upon the back ; a row of much smaller blotches on ea^ch side ; transverse bands 

 of jet black upon the tail ; tail short; abdomen and tail thickly maculated with 

 black ; thirty-one rows of carinated scales ; abdominal scuta 221 ; sub-caudal 64. 



Dimensions. Length of head 1 inch 2 lines ; greatest breadth 8 lines ; length 

 of body 2 ft. 5 inches ; of tail 5 inches 5 lines ; greatest circumference 2 inches 

 2^ lines. 



Another specimen was received of the same species as the above, but which 

 presents a remarkable deviation in the form and arrangement of the plates upon 

 the head, which is no doubt abnormal. Thus there are seven plates upon the 

 head, instead of six, as in Pityophis; these are arranged in three rows two 

 plates in the front, two in the middle and three in the posterior; on each side 

 of the middle row is a small quadrangular plate lying immediately above the 

 loral, constituting as it were a superior loral ; there is but one large ant-orbitar 

 and four posterior orbitar on the right side, and three on the left; there are 

 nine superior labials ; abdominal scuta 227 j sub-caudal T 1. 



Habitat. New Mexico. 



Leptophis tjenita. 



Sp. Char. Head much flattened, olive colored with yellow markings ; ground 

 color of body above olive, with two lateral longitudinal yellowish vittae, extend- 

 ing from the occiput to the tail, each middle scale marked with a longitudinal 

 line of black; two lines of black on each side, passing through the middle of 

 two inferior rows of scales from the occiput to a short distance beyond the tail ; 

 abdomen immaculate, except toward the neck, where there are a number of 

 small black spots; abdominal scuta 199; sub-caudal 130; 14 rows of longitu- 

 dinal smooth scales. 



Dimensions. Length of head 9J lines; greatest breadth 5 lines; length of 

 body 1 ft. T in. 5 lines; of tail 9 inches; circumference 1 inch 1 line; total 

 length 2 ft. 5 inches 2\ lines ; abdominal scuta 199 ; sub-caudal 140. 



Habitat. New Mexico. 



BUFO DORSALIS. 



Sp. Char. Above dark brown, with numerous irregular lines of yellow ; a 

 vertical line of yellow continuous with one which is less distinct upon the head ; 

 transverse blotches of black upon the thighs and fore arms ; under surface of 

 the animal ochraceous. 



Dimensions. Length of head 8 lines ; greatest breadth 9 lines ; length of head 

 and body 3 inches ; length of arm 8 J lines ; of fore arm 7 lines ; of hand to ex- 

 tremity of longest finger 10 lines; of leg 14 lines; of tarsus 9 lines; of foot 

 1 inch four lines to extremity of longest toe. 



Habitat. New Mexico. 



Remarks. This animal differs widely from the Bufo cognatus and Americanus, 

 but resembles the lentiginosus, which Prof. Holbrook observes is found, without 

 doubt, all along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. It differs from it, however, 

 in the elevation of the ridges upon the head, which in lentiginosus are highly 

 developed, giving to the upper part of the head a canaliculated appearance, a 

 condition that does not exist in this species. 



The reptiles above described were collected by my friend Dr. Woodhouse, 

 who was attached to the expedition under command of Capt. L. Sitgreaves, 

 of the corps of Topographical Engineers, for the purpose of exploring the 



"The genus Pityophis is characterized by its projecting snout and the pre- 

 sence of four posterior frontal plates in a transverse row, instead of two, as in 

 the ordinary Colubers and Tropidonotes. These characters, with its peculiar 

 physiognomy, cause it to be readily recognised by one familiar with our reptiles. 



