NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 71 



Postoculars five, small; preoculars two. the superior vertical, the inferior the 

 last of a series of three or four cut from the summits of the labials. Two 

 loreals, anterior larger. Superior labials sixteen or seventeen, eighth and 

 ninth entering orbit. Inferior, twenty ; six pair of scales separated by the 

 mental groove. Scales of the body in sixty longitudinal rows, the lateral 

 smallest. Anal plate entire. Tail slender, contained six and a half times in 

 the total length. The latter amounts, in the only specimen, a young one, to 

 26 inches ; head and body 22 inches. General color above, brown, with about 

 one hundred yellowish cross bands bordered posteriorly with darker brown. 

 Near the middle of the body these are about five scales apart ; posteriorly 

 they are nearer together. One, sometimes two, series of irregular spots exist 

 on each side, which are confluent anteriorly into one imperfect longitudinal 

 band. Two narrow dark bands posterior to the eye, separated by about five 

 temporal scales. Beneath yellow, marked with irregular longitudinal lines 

 posteriorly. 



Habitat. Mus. Academy Nat. Sciences, from Messrs. Smith 



and Stewardson. 



Ilomalochilus strigilatus. 



Head rather stouter than in other species of the genus, distinct. One large 

 superciliary plate on each side, separated from the other by two, or some- 

 times one, large shield. Anterior to these are two transverse series of irregu- 

 lar plates, in front of which are two elliptical postfrontal shields in contact. 

 Between these and the supranasals is a pair of transverse prefrontals ; their 

 posterior border is curved, parallel with the anterior, much longer than their 

 common suture. Both nasal plates distinct. One loreal, which is a little 

 shorter than in s tri a tu s. Two preoculars, the superior nearly as long as 

 high, the inferior narrow, bounded below by two labial plates. No small 

 plates anterior to the latter. Eye small, less than is usual in H. s triatu s, 

 bounded beneath by the seventh and eighth, sometimes the ninth superior 

 labial plate. The latter number fifteen. Inferior labials eighteen, the an- 

 terior six elongate. Scales in fifty-one longitudinal rows, the median lateral 

 smallest. Anal plate entire. Tail 9 in., in a specimen 67 in. long, i. e. one 

 8-5th. 



General color above, dark brown, almost black posteriorly. One or two 

 series of transverse, short, dark bordered pale spots extend throughout the 

 total length, or become obsolete posteriorly. The lateral ground color is 

 paler ; it is sometimes separated from that of the back by a zigzag outline. 

 A lateral series of brown light bordered rhombic spots is converted upon the 

 anterior fourth of the body into a longitudinal band, extending past the can- 

 thus of the mouth and through the orbit. Posterior to the latter, a light band 

 bounds it above. Muzzle paler. Beneath brownish white, becoming darker 

 posteriorly; a median dark band beneath the tail. 



Habitat. Id. New Providence, Bahamas. Mus. Academy Natural Sciences. 

 From Dr. H. C. Wood, Jr.'s, collection. 



Briefly, H. s t r i a t u s of Hayti, differs from this species in its two supercili- 

 aries, in its subloreal, in its cross bands, and absence of the lateral and sub- 

 caudal stripes. 



Tachynectes chryostictus. 



Scales elongate, poreless, in twenty-three rows, all keeled except sometimes 

 the first. Superior angles of the nasal plates in contact, one trapezoid loreal 

 as high as long, one narrow preocular not reaching the vertical ; two post- 

 oculars in contact with the occipital and one temporal. Occipitals short, their 

 common suture scarcely as long as the vertical ; the lateral borders of the 

 latter are parallel, elongate. Superior labials eight, eye over the lourth ; 

 sixth and seventh largest. Twelve inferior labials, five posterior small. Anal 

 plate divided ; tail one-third the total length, i. e., in the type specimen 5 in. 

 in 15. 



1862.] 



