52 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CALIFORNIA 



of about 200 feet above the sea, and the bed probably belongs to 

 the Pliocene formations that are found cropping out along the 

 beach to the south of Lake Merced. The deposit has been formed 

 in this lamina:', and between some of these, ripple marks left by 

 the retreating tide, are perfectly preserved, as in the specimen 

 presented this evening. A microscopical examination of the rock 

 shows that it is made up of silicious particles, evidently of or- 

 ganic origin, probably the remains of diatoms, but no perfect 

 diatom has been discovered. The earth would seem to be com- 

 posed almost entirely of the remains of the silicious external 

 covering of the diatoms. The more tenacious lamina that have 

 preserved the ripple marks, contain a considerable quantity of 

 clay. 



W. N. Lockington read the following paper describing a new 

 species of Colubrine Snake : 



Description of a New Genus and Species of Colubrine 



Snake. 



BY W. N. LOCKINGTON. 



Bellophis nov. genus. 



Body deeper than wide except near the head. Head and fore part of body 

 depressed. Head much wider than the neck with an obtuse snout. Scales 

 smooth, rhombic. Cephalic plates normal. Nasal plates, 2; the nostril near 

 the posterior edge of the anterior plate. A small rectangular breal. A large 

 ante-orbital and two post-orbitals ; the lower smaller, partly in a notch between 

 the fourth and fifth labials. Upper labials, G — 7, the centre of the eve over 

 the commissare noiomma, between the third and tourth. ' 



Dorsal rows of scales, 23. Abdominal scutella? more than 190. Last ab- 

 dominal scutella entire. Sub-caudal 45, divided. Tail short, about one- 

 seventh the length of the body. 



General color — Rings of red. white and black, the abdomen lighter but 

 with traces of the same colors. 



Bellophis zonalus. nov. sp. 



Rostral plate broad; vertical, almost straight along its anterior edge; tem- 

 poral shields large. Two pairs of ventral scutella?, those of the opposite 

 sides closely applied to each other. Nostrils large, infundibnliform. Scales 

 rbombic, increasing in size from back to sides. Snout, U<\> of head and chin 

 black, then a ring of white over the head, eoutinuous with the white of the 

 throat. About G2 black rings from head to end of tail, the first ring just be- 

 hind the occipital plates. The spaces between the black rings filled alter- 



