1884.] Ul [Cope. 



which is widest on the apex of the scale. Head above and on sides uni- 

 form brown, scuta in some specimens narrowly black-edged. Below yel- 

 low, the scuta and scutella with narrow blackish edges, frequently im- 

 perfect on the middle of the former. 



Total length of a median specimen, M. .G95 ; of head to canthus oris, 

 .019; of tail, .112. 



This species is quite abundant at Sao Joao, and some of tlie specimens 

 reach a larger size tlian the one measured. It is nearly allied to the 0. 

 meleagris Shaw, which is, to judge from the collection made, the most 

 abundant snake at Sao Joao. The latter always has nineteen rows ot 

 narrow scales, and the color is constantly different. The 0. fuscus never 

 has the black band through the eye, nor the broad black borders and cen- 

 tres of the cephalic scuta, nor the ventral black spots and cross-bands of 

 the 0. meleagris. It never has the imperfect black dorsal spots and tail- 

 bauds characteristic of the variety 0. m. semilineatus, which is the most 

 abundant form at Sao Joao. Young specimens of the 0. fuscus agree 

 exactly with the adult in color. 



Opheomorphus meleagris Shaw. LiopJiis merremii Dum. Bibron. 



Principally represented by the Southern, variety, semilineatus Cope 

 (Proceedings Academy, Philadelphia, 1860, p. 253). Very abundant. 

 Tlie young of this form have the dorsal spots very distinct, which are fee- 

 bly represented in the adult. They run more or less together to form 

 imperfect cross-bands, but mostly alternate on opposite sides of the middle 

 line. The top of the head is black. 



With increasing age, then, this species becomes much lighter colored ; 

 yellowish and light bluish, taking the place of a great deal of black. 



Apohophis conirostris Gtinther. 

 Aporophis ctanopleurus, sp. nov. 



The species of Aporophis (Cope, Proceeds. Amer. Philos. Soc. 1877, p. 

 18, Lygophis olim, nee. Fitzingeri = Philodryas) are sometimes referred 

 to Dromicus and sometimes to Liophis. They may be readily distin- 

 guished from the latter genus by the absence of scale-fossae (sometimes 

 called scale pores), while they differ from Dromicus in the shorter tail. 

 This portion represents a fourth or a little more of the total length in 

 Aporophis, and a third or more in Dromicus. It is quite possible that the 

 groups may have to be united in one genus in future, but I have not yet 

 met with intermediate forms. The species of Aporophis known to me 

 are : A. conirostris Gthr. ; A. lineatus Linn. ; A. dilepis Cope* ; A. flavi- 

 frenatus Cope (= Coronella pulcJiella Jan.); A. anomalus Gthr. {=: L. 

 rutilus Cope) ; A. nicagus Cope ; A. undulatus Wied. (Dromicus Peters) ; 

 A. julice Cope ; A. melanocepJialus Peters (Dromicus melanocephalus, JIo- 

 natsber. Berl. Acad., 1863, 277 ; dentition not described). Aporophis 



*This species differs from A. lineatus in color, and not only in its two pre- 

 ocular plates, as supposed by Dr. Fischer. 



