REPTILES FROM So. CALIF. AND L. CALIF. MEEK 17 



Crotalus lucifer Baird & Girard. PACIFIC RATTLESNAKE. 



"One specimen taken near Mojave, California, far out on the 

 desert, where it was apparently a straggler." Scales 25-178-28; 

 length of body 86omm. ; tail 75.6mm. A second specimen was taken 

 on Mt. Whitney (8000 feet), California, scales 25-189; length of body 

 878mm.; tail 60. 8mm. A third near Ft. Tejon, scales 25-172-20; 

 length of body 263mm. ; tail 2omm. 



Crotalus ruber (Cope). WESTERN DIAMOND RATTLESNAKE. 



"This rattlesnake is very common at the base of the San Matias 

 Mountains in Lower California." Specimens were secured in this 

 region as follows: San Salado Canon, Lower California, scales 

 29-203-27; length of body 989mm.; tail 76mm. San Matias, Lower 

 California, scales 27-195-27; length of body 936mm.; tail 7i.imm. 

 scales 27-194-27; length of body 88imm. ; tail 53.4mm. Santa 

 Catalina, Lower California, scales 27-205-26; length of body 379mm. ; 

 tail 49mm. Agua Escondito, Lower California, scales 27-188-26; 

 length of body 9iomm. ; tail 65mm. Matomi, Lower California, 

 scales 29-201-26 ; length of body 96omm. ; tail 6omm. San Quentin, 

 Lower California, scales 29-185-27; length of body i,i6omm.; tail 

 96mm. 



Crotalus helleri sp. nov. PLATE II. 



Type No. 1272, from San Jose, Lower California. Scales 25- 

 173-25; length of body 957mm.; tail 6imm; first pair of lower labials 

 meeting in front of geneials ; scales on top of snout larger than on 

 top of rest of head; seven scales between supraoculars ; preoculars 

 not divided vertically. 



Ground color of body very dark, dark blotches on back separated 

 by narrow yellow lines, forming a chain along back, being obscure 

 on anterior third of body and becoming light cross streaks on 

 posterior fifth; a light line one scale wide from middle of eye to 

 eighth upper labial extending backward to angle of mouth covering 

 the labials and a small portion of the row of scales just above them ; 

 tail a dark brown, with three light cross bands on anterior half; 

 ventral surface much mottled and blotched with dark brown; on 

 anterior half of body the white predominates, on posterior half the 

 darker. Six rattles. 



Three other specimens from same locality, scales 23-171-23; 

 length of body 784mm.; tail 53mm. scales 25-174-20; length of body 

 568mm.; tail 38mm. scales 25-170-23; length of body 476mm.; 

 tail 38mm. 



