NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 77 



temporal region, and three, one median and two lateral divergent, from the 

 posterior border of the occipital shields. Urosteges and posterior three- 

 fourths of the gastrosteges bordered with brown, ground color olivaceous 

 yellowish, unspotted. Total length 36 in., tail 10 in. 3 lin. 



Habitat. Hayti, near Jeremie. Mus. Compar. Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. 



(No. 1522). Dr. Weinland Coll. 



Alsophis funereus. 



Head distinct, not lanceolate. Rostral plate scarcely visible from above. 

 Superciliaries and vertical plate9 not elongate ; the lateral borders of the latter 

 straight, convergent, as long as the anterior. Occipitals rather broad, the com- 

 mon suture as long as the vertical; three large, two small temporals. Supero- 

 anterior border of loreal continuous, curved. Preocular not reaching vertical ; 

 two postoculars. Seven superior labials, third and fourth entering the orbit. 

 Seventeen rows of obtuse scales. Total length of specimen 16 in. ; tail 5 in. 

 6 lines. 



General color black ; anteriorly the inferior surface is plumbeous, as are also 

 the superior labials. 



Habitat. Jamaica. Mus. Washington, (No. 5779.) Prof. C. B. Adams' 

 Coll. 



The breadth of the vertical plate distinguishes this species at once from 

 others of the genus. 



Liophis perfuscus. 



Scales obtuse, rather broad, in nineteen longitudinal series. Head mode- 

 rately distinct, not very elongate, the front slightly curved in profile ; canthus 

 rostralis very obtuse. Ro3tral shield much broader than high, not appearing 

 on the superior surface of the muzzle. Prefrontals very small, their common 

 suture half the length of that of the postfrontals. Vertical plate elongate, 

 less so than in Haliophis antillensis, more so than in H. funereus, its 

 anterior broader more than half the total length, the lateral a little concave, not 

 convergent. Occipitals moderate, acuminate, bifurcate. Two postoculars, 

 both in contact with an elongate temporal, which is not in contact with the 

 last (eighth) superior labial. This labial is well developed ; the seventh i3 high, 

 five-sided, its commisural border shorter than it3 anterior, superior, and some- 

 times its lower posterior border ; upper posterior very short. One preocular, 

 not reaching the vertical, the superior extremity half separated by a suture 

 from the orbit. Geneials of about equal length. Total length 17 in. ; the tail 

 3 in. 9 lin. 



General color deep mud brown, paler on the sides and beneath ; sometimes 

 certain scales are irregularly darker or lighter. 



Habitat. Barbadoes. Obtained by Prof. Theodore Gill, who has presented 

 specimens to Mus. Phila. Acad, and Smithsonian, Wash., (No. 6044.) 



Liophis subfascial e. 



Form stout, tail short, thick, head moderately distinct. Scales in nineteen 

 longitudinal rows. Rostral plate small, swollen, a little recurved superiorly. Can- 

 thus rostralis none. Prefrontals small, their common suture more than half 

 that of the postfrontals. Vertical shorter than in L. regi n ae, lateral borders, 

 slightly curved and convergent, posterior angle right. Occipitals short, broad 

 and obtuse posteriorly, bounded by two large and one or two small temporals, 

 the anterior in contact with two labials and two postoculars. Of the latter the 

 superior is twice the size of the inferior. One preocular not reaching vertical ; 

 one loreal nearly rectangular. Superior labials eight, fourth and fifth entering 

 orbit. Last two higher than long. The posterior superior maxillary tooth is 

 of unusual length and curvature. Total length 18 in. 3 lin. ; tail 3 in. 



Color above brown, sometimes nearly unicolor, sometimes with transverse 

 bands of deep brown, one and two scales apart. These bands are formed by 

 dark edges and tips of the scales, and so have a zigzag form ; sometimes they 



1862.] 



