NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 339 



Notes and descriptions of new and little known species of American Reptiles , 



BY E. D. COPE. 



OPHIDIA. 



Chilomeniscus Cope. 



Size small. Form stout, body cylindrical, the head not distinct. Muzzle round- 

 ed, very prominent, and muck depressed. Rostral plate large, with an ex- 

 tensive superior surface, and presenting an obtuse angle between the pre- 

 frontals : the inferior surface greater than the superior, owing to the back- 

 ward position of the mandible. Head shields broad, normal, except in the 

 confluence of the prefrontals with the nasals. Nostril connected to the an- 

 terior suture of the postfrontal by a groove. Loreal none, the postfrontals 

 reaching the labials. One pre- two postoculars. Scales smooth. Tail short, 

 the urosteges and anal plate divided. Teeth equal, or the posterior a little 

 stouter. Palatines and pterygoids present. 



This truly Calamarian genus is analogous to Stenorhina in the union of the 

 nasal and prefontal shields, and perhaps the form of the muzzle and inferior 

 position of the mouth indicates affinity to Chionactis. 



C. STRAMINEUS Cope. 



Common suture of the prefrontals very small, (in one specimen obliterated 

 by the rostral, ) that of the postfrontals but half the length of their sutures 

 with the prefrontals. Vertical presenting an obtuse angle anteriorly ; the 

 superciliary sutures converging posteriorly ; posterior angle less than a right- 

 angle. Occipitals short, their common suture scarcely longer than the frontal 

 suture of the vertical. Superior labials seven, the second reaching the minute 

 preocular, or should that plate be absent, as will probably occur occasionally, 

 forming with the third and fourth the inferior border of the orbit. Inferior 

 labials eight, fifth the largest. Geneials two pair, posterior half the length of 

 the anterior. Temporals 3 3 ; a larger central plate opposite the occipital 

 suture. Scales in thirteen rows, hexagonal on the flanks, a little elongated on 

 the back. Gastrosteges 117 ; one divided anal ; urosteges 22. Total length 

 of the largest specimen, nine inches ; the tail, thirteen lines. 



Coloration. Inferiorly, and upon the first and second rows of dorsal scales, 

 pale straw color. Superiorly, brownish straw color, each scale with a deep 

 brown dot near its posterior extremity. Top of the head grayish, minutely 

 punctulated with darker. 



Hab. Cape St. Lucas, Lower California. Discovered by Mr. John Xantus. 

 Museums of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, and Academy of Natural 

 Sciences, Philadelphia. 



Catostojia Wagler. 



In the Monatsberichte der Preuss. Acad, von Wissensch., 1859, p. 275. 

 Herr Peters identifies this genus with the Rhabdosoma of Dumeril, employing, 

 however, the name Geophis, which was given by Fitzinger in the Systema 

 Reptilium, p. 25, many years subsequently to that of Wagler. The typical 

 species isC. chalybeum, which the combined diagnoses of Wagler and 

 Peters do not enable me to recognize as having yet been received at our 

 Museum from Mexico. The most common species of the north eastern region 

 of that country will henceforth stand as Catostoma semidoliatum with 

 the synonyrnes Rhabdosoma semidoliatum Dum. &Bibr., and Geophis semidolia- 

 tus Peters, 1. c. 276. 



Ninia Baird & Girard. 

 Professor Baird has kindly pointed out to me that this genus has been iden- 

 1860] 



