196 , THE HERPETOLOGY OF CUBA. 



Rostral scarcely visible from above; internasal suture very slightly shorter 

 than prefrontal suture; frontal long and narrow, as long as parietal sutiu-e, 

 but slightly shorter than the parietals ; loreal almost square ; one large pre- and 

 two postoculars; one large and broad anterior temporal, followed by two lesser 

 temporals; eight supralabials, third, fourth, and fifth entering eye; posterior 

 chin-shields much longer than anterior; scales in seventeen rows many with 

 a single rather inconspicuous apical pit; 145 ventrals, anal divided, subcaudals 

 96 pairs. 



Colour (in Ufe) : — Black above, usually a white spot on each scale of the 

 lowest lateral row, gastrosteges grayish or white with a black posterior margin; 

 chin and upper lip white; a white line around the canthus from eye to eye, 

 white spots just behind each parietal shield. 



Dimensions: — Total length 601 mm. 



Vent to tip of tail 80 nun. 



Specimens of Leimadophis collected in the Island of Pines were much more 

 profusely marked with white than specimens from western Cuba and were 

 named L. nebulatus (Barbour, Ann. Carnegie mus., 1916, 10, p. 305). Since 

 then the junior author has sent to the M. C. Z. similar specimens from Oriente. 

 The fact that all the Island of Pines specimens seem to be pecuUarly marked while 

 only those from a distant part of Cuba bear similar markings would suggest that 

 the name nebulatus might for the present, at least, be allowed to stand, and 

 possibly we must recognize a similar race peculiar to Oriente for which the 

 name orientalis would be appropriate (Type, M. C. Z. 11,726 from Guantanamo). 



Dr. Stejneger's recent paper {he. cit., p. 285) also concludes that there 

 may be three races in this species. All of his examples except one from Oriente 

 being differently marked from the eastern series. 



We may also in this connection discuss the supposed Cuban species Dromi- 

 cus temporalis Cope. Gundlach says that the species was collected at Monte 

 Verde by Charles Wright and that he had never seen it. Turning to the original 

 description, however (Proc. Acad. nat. sci. Phila., 1860, p. 370), we find that 

 Cope says " Habitat probably Cuba. Mus. Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, 

 Mass."; an early and faded label apparently in Cope's handwriting indicates 

 the type as M. C. Z. 297. The type though very poorly preserved really repre- 

 sents, as Boulenger has stated, Urotheca lateristriga Berth, a Central American 

 species. It must therefore be removed from the list of Cuban species. Cope 

 also (loo. dt., p. 371) describes Scolecophis fumiceps with similar data, viz. 



