8 PITUOPHIS MELANOLEUCUS. 



Description. The head is rather oval, and small for the size of the animal, 

 with the snout elongated and projecting. The vertical plate is very large, 

 pentagonal, broad before, where it is joined to four frontal, narrow and pointed 

 behind, where it passes slightly in between the occipital. The superior orbital 

 are broad, projecting over the eye, of the same length as the vertical, and of an 

 irregular pentagonal form, larger behind and smaller before, with two facets, one 

 for the external frontal, and the other; for the anterior orbital. The occipital are 

 polygonal, and most extensive in the transverse direction, and behind them are 

 placed several plates. There are four frontal plates, all elongated, quadrilateral, 

 a little larger anteriorly, and all nearly of the same breadth, but the two internal 

 are longest, the external descend between the anterior orbital and posterior nasal, 

 to join a small quadrilateral loral plate; the anterior frontal are trapezoid, and 

 two in number. The rostral plate is an isosceles triangle, with its base in front 

 greatly prolonged, rounded, hollow below, and its apex directed upwards and 

 backwards, separating the nasal, and deeply received between the anterior frontal 

 plates. There are two nasal plates, the anterior small, irregularly quadrilateral, 

 concave above and lunated behind; the posterior oblong, hexagonal, and concave 

 in front for the nostril. The anterior orbital plate is large, pentagonal, and 

 slightly concave behind, and with an acute angle above projecting between the 

 superior orbital and frontal plates. There are three small, quadrilateral, posterior 

 orbital plates; the inferior wall of the orbit is completed by the fourth labial 

 plate, of which there are eight on each side; the anterior is triangular; the second 

 is pentagonal, and the remaining are quadrilateral. 



The eyes are of moderate size, but seem small on account of the projecting 

 superior orbital plate, with a dusky pupil and grey iris. The nostrils are near 

 the snout, large, lateral, and open outwards and backwards. The neck is 

 contracted, and is covered behind the occiput with small smooth scales; soon, 

 however, they become carinated, and increase in size. 



The body is very long, though sufficiently robust to make it a strong snake; 

 and is covered above with large, hexagonal, strongly carinated scales on the 

 back, and smooth, though still larger scales low down on the flanks; the belly is 



