100 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



i 



Descriptions of new American SQUAMATA, in the Museum of the Smithsonian 



Institution, Washington. 



BY E. D. COPE. 



Tantilla miniator Cope, sp. nov. 



Tail one-fifth the total length. Postnasal equal to second superior labial, 

 and largely in contact with the preocular; which is hexagonal, and as long as 

 high. Two post-oculars ; seven superior labials, eye over third and fourth ; 

 fifth very narrow. First inferior labial not separating sympbyseal and genei- 

 als. Temporals two large, two small. Occipitals rather large ; vertical, 

 scarcely longer than broad, more acute angled posteriorly, the frontal, super- 

 ciliary and occipital sutures equal. Muzzle subtruncate. Scales in thirteen 

 rows. Length of head and body 30", of tail 1". 



Above blackish brown, on the nape blackish; a yellow collar two scales 

 wide, touching tips of occipitals ; head above blackish, except two large yel- 

 lowish spots on the superior labials, one below the nares, and one behind the 

 eye. Under surfaces salmon-colored, palest anteriorly. 



Habitat. Mirador, near Vera Cruz. From Dr. Charles Sartorius' collection 

 made for the Smithsonian Institution. (No. 13.) 



A species allied to coronataBd. Grd., (which Jan confounds with the 

 melanocephala), but differing in the broader and more obtuse head, and 

 darker coloration. The reticulata has a much longer tail. 



Tropidodipsas s a r t o r i i Cope, sp. nov. 



Rather stout ; tail one-sixth of the total length. Head swollen at the tem- 

 ples, muzzle broad, thick ; eyes medium. Rostral not prominent, as high as 

 broad. Nasals two, large; loreal nearly square, in contact with orbit ; one 

 very small preocular above it, widely separated from vertical ; twopostoculars. 

 Top of head arched, a little swollen behind. Postfrontals very large ; vertical 

 broader than long, five-sided; superciliaries small. Occipitals with a concave 

 outer border. Five temporals, one in contact with postoculars, little longer 

 than fifth superior labial. Six superior labials, eye over fourth, but touching 

 third. Nine inferior labials, fifth largest; two pairs of very small geneials 

 behind the moderate anterior pair. Scales in seventeen longitudinal series, the 

 three median slightly keeled. Gastrosteges rounded, slightly bent upwards on 

 the sides. Length of head and body 47", of tail 9". 



Black, with fifteen yellowish (? red) rings three scales wide, each scale black 

 tipped. Last ring including tips of occipitals, last superior labial, and chin, 

 except inferior labials; five light rings on tail. 



Habitat. Mirador, Vera Cruz. Discovered by Dr. Charles Sartorius, (Coll. 

 No. 20,) to whom the species is dedicated. This gentleman has also obtained 

 at the same place, among other species, Ninia c o 1 1 a r i s (Streptophorus sebie, 

 collaris Jan.) Drymobius margaritiferus, Lampropeltis micropholis , 

 Boa eques. 



Rhadinrea poecilopogon Cope, sp. nov. 



Slender; head distinct elongate, convex; muzzle elongate, narrowly 

 rounded. Scales narrow, in seventeen longitudinal rows. Tail more than one 

 fourth of the total length. Superior head-plates normal, elongate, especially 

 the vertical, which has straight outlines. Loreal nearly equilateral, encroach- 

 ing on the single preocular, which does not reach the vertical. Two postocu- 

 lars, superior larger ; one temporal between fifth and sixth superior labials and 

 occipital. Seven superior labials, eye cover third and fourth ; postgeneials 

 longer than pregeneials ; nine inferior labials, fifth largest. Total length 

 391", tail 10". 



Above olivaceous brown, each scale of the vertebral series with a black 

 centre. End of gastrosteges and lateral scales to the edge of the fourth row, 

 dark slate ; a streak across the rostral plate through loreal and temporal re- 



[April, 



