72 PITUOPHIS. 



nating •witli the medial series. A series of blotclies along the middle 

 of the flanks opposite to the blotches of the medial series of the back. 

 On the anterior part of the body the lateral blotches are elongated, 

 and occasionally combine into a band or vitta behind the neck. On 

 the anterior third of the body, an indistinct series of black spots may 

 be seen between the scutellas and the outer series of lateral blotches. 

 Inferior surface of head and abdomen dull yellowish white, with two 

 series of distant blotches, the outer series more conspicuous than the 

 inner one, and extending to the end of the tail. 



In the young the middle region of the abdomen is unicolor, and 

 the external series of spots only exists, which, together with the series 

 on the middle of the flanks, are most conspicuous. 

 Puget Sound, Or. 215. 56. 29-31. 39^. 5|. (ondep.) Expl. Exped. 



" 209. 72. 29-31. 41|. 7|. " 



Oregon. 209. 66. 29. 14i 1\. « 



" 213. — 29. 13i. II. « 



6. PituopSiis ailllCCtens, B. & G. — Head elongated, elliptical. 

 Vertical plate subpentagonal, elongated, posteriorly obtuse, with sides con- 

 cave. Anteorbitals 2 ; postorbitals 3. Dorsal rows of scales 33, 5 outer 

 rows smooth. Triple series of dorsal blotches confluent for nearly the whole 

 length of the body. 



Difi"ers from P. catenifer in having much smaller dorsal blotches, 

 and more interspaced. The fifteen anterior blotches of the three 

 dorsal series almost united in a transverse or oblique band, ante- 

 riorly and posteriorly irregular. The blotches on the flanks are also 

 proportionally smaller than in P. catenifer. From P. Wilkesii, which 

 it resembles in the small size of the blotches, it differs by a more coni- 

 cal head, a narrower and longer vertical plate, and a rostral reaching 

 higher up on the snout. The loral and superior anteorbital are quite 

 large, and the lower anteorbital very small. In one specimen we 

 have noticed 5 postorbitals, the 5th contiguous to the lower ante- 

 orbital, thus constituting a continuous chain beneath the eye. Dor- 

 sal scales in 33 rows, the 5 outermost perfectly smooth. 



San Diego, Cal. 243. 71. 33. 28|. 4i|. Dr. J. L. Leconte. 



