170 [December, 1844. 



Plesttodon Harlani. 



Description. — Head of moderate size, covered above with plates; of these 

 the rostral is large, and rounded above; there are two nasal plates, with the 

 nostril placed between them ; the vertical is large, elongated, hexagonal, incur- 

 vated laterally ; there are six supra-orbitar plates: there are two anterior orbitar 

 with a loral placed between them and the nostril ; there is one posterior orbitar 

 and three inferior orbitar ; there is a posterior frontal, which is large and pen- 

 tagonal ; there is a small quadrangular plate intermediate between the anterior 

 frontal and the first supra-orbitar plate ; there are six superior labials ; the 

 scales upon the back and sides of the body are hexagonal, presenting three 

 strise upon their surface; there are eight rows of smooth, hexagonal scales upon 

 the abdomen, and five upon the under surface of the tail; tail cylindrical, co- 

 vered with numerous hexagonal scales ; extremities short and thick. 



Colour. — Head, neck, and upper part of body light brown ; sides of body pre- 

 senting numerous dark coloured bands, extending from the back to the abdomen ; 

 the intermediate spaces are white ; abdomen and under surface of tail, of a light 

 yellow colour. 



Dimensions. 



Inches. 

 Length of head, --,•-.' *1| 



Breadth of head posteriorly, - - f 



Length of body, .... 4 



Length of tail, - - 5 \ 



Length of extremity to extremity of longest finger, If 



Length of posterior extremities, - - If 



This species I have named after the late Dr. Harlan. 

 Dipsas Blandingii. 



Description. — Head of moderate size, rather large, covered with nine plate?, 

 the central is large, pentagonal, broad in front ; the supra-orbitar are pen- 

 tangular; they are curved inferiorly for the reception of the superior margin 

 of the eye ; there are two anterior and two posterior frontal plates ; the pos- 

 terior are quadrangular, larger than the anterior; the anterior are quad- 

 rangular ; the rostral plate is large ; there are two nasal plates, the anterior the 

 largest, with the nostril placed between them ; there are two anterior orbitar 

 plates, and two posterior; the anterior are quadrangular; the eye is large and 

 projecting ; between the nostrils and the anterior orbitar plates is a loral 

 plate which is quadrangular ; there are five temporal plates, the posterior of 

 which is the largest ; there are nine superior orbitar, of which the eighth 

 is large and quadrangular; the posterior part of the head is covered with scales; 

 the body is long, thick in the middle : the neck is slender ; the scales of the 

 body arc smooth and quadrangular, with the exception of a row along the 

 middle of the back, which are hexagonal. 



Colour. — The superior and under parts of the body are light yellow ; the 

 body presents upon each side a series of blotches, of a leaden colour ; the upper 

 part of the head is light bluish ; the throat and jaws are yellow. Abdominal 

 scuta 272 : subcaudal 131. 



