NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILAT ELPHIA. 319 



This species furnishes a strong degree of sulcation of the elongate posterior 

 maxillary teeth. Tlie sulcus is deep, and its external margins approximated, 

 though not closed, as in the fangs of Proteroglyphs. The tooth has an ele- 

 vated trenchant ridge on its posterior aspect. 



Coluber flavirufus m. sp. nov. 



Intermediate in characters between C. triaspis Cope and C. e m o r y i 

 Bd. Gird. Scales in twenty-seven series, all rather small, four median rows 

 only slightly carinate. Frontal, vertical and prefrontal shields longer than broad, 

 length of former equal to common suture of parietals. Orbitals 1 2, the 

 anterior large, nearly reaching vertical ; the single loreal obliquely truncate 

 behind, nearly triangular. Labials nine, fourth, fifth and sixth margining 

 orbit. Orbit large, its diameter equal distance from nares to its anterior 

 border. Two or three narrow elongate temporals between labials and parietal, 

 anteriorly declined and in contact with postoculars. Postgeneials very 

 slender, separated by scales, nearly equal pregeneials ; inferior labials 13. 

 Tail slender, 4? times in total length. Length of a young individual 1 foot 

 10 inches. 



Ground-color yellow, below unspotted, above marked with brick-red spots, 

 broadly brown margined. There are from 40 to 47 of these to opposite vent, 

 some of them divided and alternating, aud a row of alternating >pots on the 

 sides ; alternating with the latter an irregular series of still smaller mark- 

 ings. A longitudinal included yellow line on the nape ; a similar brown 

 mark on frontal plate, and transverse band on prefontals ; other head mark- 

 ings few and broken, including a narrow line from orbit to canthus oris. 



Smithsonian, No. GufiG. Yucatan. 



This species has been found also at Tabasco by Dr. Berendt, and sent to the 

 Smithsonian Institution. This specimen has the orbit a little smaller, three 

 instead of two oblique temporals, and 47 dorsal spots. t 



Bascanion suboculare sp. nov. 



Gastrosteges 200, anal i, urosteges 111. 



Scales in seventeen longitudinal rows, the two external larger, the median 

 half their width. Tail three and five-sixths times in total length. Muzzle 

 short, rostral plate little visible above. Orbit moderate ; its longitudinal 

 diameter equal transverse width of superciliary plate. Frontal plate narrow, 

 sides concave, length equal from its anterior margin to end of muzzle, and 

 greater than length of common occipital suture. Internasals of nearly equal 

 diameters ; prefrontals bent down on loreal region. Nasals large, loreal 

 longitudinal ; preoculars two, inferior minute, superior not reaching frontal, 

 prolonged backwards over orbit, and with strong canthal ridge. Postoculars 

 two ; occipitals not emarginate behind. Superior labials seven, the fourth 

 very large, supporting not only the orbit, but the pre- and postoculars ; 

 fifth subtriangular apex truncate by inferior temporal; sixth and seventh 

 large and nearly equal, longitudinal. Temportls in a superior and inferior 

 row of 3 the upper extending to end of occipitals, the lower to last labial. 

 Pregeneials little longer than broad, much shorter than postgeneials. In- 

 ferior labials nine, the fifth largest, the eighth longitudinal, narrow. 



Length of head and body 64 in. 5 lin. ; of tail 22 in. (j lin. 



Habitat. Central Guatimala ; specimen from between Coban and Cluse;). 

 Henry Hague, Collector. 



This large species belongs to the section of the genus characterized by two 

 preocular plates which embraces B. constrictor Linn., B. f 1 a v i v e n t r i*s 

 Say, B. v e t u s t u m Bd. Gird., and B. anthicum Cope. From all 

 these it differs in the arrangement of the labial and temporal shields, and the 

 greater number of abdominal and caudal scuta. 



1866.] 



