NATURAL SCIENCES OP PHILADELPHIA. 79 



third. A similar lateral band occupies the third and fourth rows, and is 

 continued to near the end of the tail ; anteriorly it is continuous with a nar- 

 row band on the superior margins of the lateral plates. Muzzle and labials 

 yellowish ; beneath yellowish white, unspotted. 



Habitat. Martinique. Mus. Acad. Philada. ; Mus. Gard. Plants in ex. 



This is the specimen referred to in the "Catalogue of Colubridae," Pr. A. 

 N. Sc, 1860, p. 560, as a variety of Dromicus f u g i.t i v u s. It differs from the 

 the Cuban form of that species in having uniporous scales, a shorter tail, a 

 broader and more distinct head, a much narrower anterior temporal, and dif- 

 ferent system of coloration. I have named it in honor of ray friend Fredk. W. 

 Putnam, Esq., of Cambridge, Mass., in recognition of his merit as a zoologist, 

 and of obligations for opportunities of examining valuable collections. 



Dromicus parvifrons. 



Some scales upon the nape with a pore. Scales of the back obtuse, not elon- 

 gate, in seventeen or nineteen longitudinal rows. Head small and but little 

 distinct from the body. Eyes moderate. Rostral plate rounded above. Suture 

 of prefrontals with pre-nasal twice or thrice as long as with postnasal. Vertical 

 and superciliaries elongate, the former twice as long as its anterior breadth, 

 longer than the common occipital suture ; its lateral borders a little concave, 

 its posterior angle less than right. Occipitals rather small ; temporals three 

 large, two small, the anterior large, in contact with two labials and two post- 

 oculars. Loreal nearly quadrangular, preocular a little concave, not reaching 

 vertical. Superior labials eight; third, fourth and fifth entering the orbit ; 

 the first very narrowly. Preanal plate divided. Total length 26 in. 6 lin. ; tail 

 16 inches. 



General coloration dark olivaceous. A brown band extends from the muzzle 

 through the eye, and for the greater part of the total length upon the fourth 

 row of scales. It is bounded above by a light band, which occupies half of 

 the fifth row; it becomes lighter anteriorly and extends to the superciliary 

 plates. The median dorsal band thus remaining is sometimes divided anteriorly 

 by a daiker vertebral line, upon one row of scales. 



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

 From Dr. Weinland. 



Dromicus exiguus. 



Size small ; body stout ; head little distinct, flat above, muzzle prominent. 

 Rostral plate broad, presenting no superior surface. Prefrontals well de- 

 veloped. Vertical elongate, lateral borders straight, the posterior long, form- 

 ing au acute angle. Occipitals well developed, the median or common suture 

 shorter than vertical plate, obtuse posteriorly, bounded by one large and five 

 small temporals on each side. Postoculars two ; preocular one, rather broad ; 

 loreal small. Postnasal longer than prenasal. Eight superior labials, third, 

 fourth and fifth entering orbit. Nine inferior labials, fourth and fifth largest. 

 Scales in nineteen longitudinal rows. Total length of largest of five speci- 

 mens 17 in. 1 lin. ; tail 5 in. 4 lin. 



Above light brown, sometimes yellowish, densely punctulated with darker. 

 The median dorsal region is of a deeper shade ; distant dark brown dots some- 

 times form two parallel series, one on each side of it. A dark brown band 

 along the fourth row of scales nearly to the end of the tail ; it is sharply 

 defined only superiorly ; it is continuous with a head-band which passes 

 through the eye. Beneath yellowish, punctulated with brown, especially 

 toward the extremities of the gastrosteges. 



Hub. St. Johns and St. Thomas, W. I. Mus. Washington, (Ruse Coll.) 

 Phila. Academy. 



This species may be readily mistaken for the young of Alsophis a n t i 1- 

 1 e n s i s, and probably has been. In very small specimens of the latter, the 

 double scale-pores may be observed ; the animal is also more elongate, the 



1862.] 



