SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT OF THE SPECIES. 189 



with darker vertebral blotches which often have irregular light centres. There 

 are scattered dots of dark brown upon the sides a^d belly, sometimes almost 

 wholly wanting. There are sometimes more or less conspicuous dark streaks 

 along the side of the body, a Ught streak near the angle of the mouth and often 

 a dark vertebral line. In spite of the name neither Gundlach nor we have seen 

 an individual with a black tail. 



Dimensions: — Total length 670 nun. 



Vent to tip of tail 70 mm. 



This is the largest member of the genus and we have specimens nearly a 

 meter in length. It is strictly nocturnal but by no means rare. During the 

 day it may be found hidden in various situations, among rocks, under decajdng 

 vegetation, but most often in the rolled up "boots" of the fallen palm fronds 

 — called in Cuba ' ' yaguas." Where groves of Royal Palms stand among mangos 

 or thickly planted bananas so that the ground is well shaded and damp, many 

 of the yaguas when unrolled or better cut into with a machete will be found to 

 contain Majas of this species passing the day closely coiled into almost a sphere. 

 The snakes are extremely sluggish and make absolutely no resistance to capture 

 or handling. That they are voracious, however, is shown by the fact that a 

 large individual once crawled dm-ing the night into the junior author's aviary 

 and having devoured a dove found it impossible to repass through the wire of 

 the cage. It remained quietly coiled in a corner causing consternation among 

 the inmates until caught. When surprised or handled this snake discharges 

 a whitish sUme from its vent which is extremely offensive, in fact more pungent 

 even than the musky fluid discharged by the various species of Thamnophis 

 or Natrix of North America. 



57. Tropidophis pardalis (Gundlach). 



Plate 5, fig. 2. 



Maja. 



Diagnosis: — A small spotted constricting snake, having the habits and 

 general appearance described for T. maculata but with the belly-scales less than 

 160 in nimaber; the body being correspondingly shorter and rather stout. 



Description: — Adult M. C. Z. 10,840. Cuba: Havana Province; San 

 Antonio de los Banos, February, 1915. Thomas Barbom-. 



Head slightly distinct from neck; rostral decidedly broader than deep. 



