Cope.] 280 [Nov. 20, 



small and occupying a notch between the third and fourth superior labials. 

 Preorbital part of head short. Interuasals and prefontals broader than long. 

 Frontals, supraorbitals and occipitals rather large. Rostral plate wider 

 tban high, rather prominent. Postnasal higher than prenasal, its poste- 

 rior border an arc of a circle. Loreal higher than long. Postoculars 

 two, the inferior the smaller. Temporals 1-2-3. Superior labials eight, 

 all longer than high, excepting the sixth, which is as high as long ; the 

 fourth and fifth bounding the orbit. Inferior labials nine, fifth largest, 

 and the last one in contact with the geneials. Postgeneials longer than 

 pregenials. Gastrosteges 144 ; anal 1-1 ; urosteges 109. 



Color above dark brown, with three darker brown longitudinal bands. 

 The lateral one is on the second and third rows of scales, and the median 

 stripe occupies four rows. Below yellow, with a serrate blackish border 

 on each side, due to the presence of an angular spot at the extremity of 

 each two gastrosteges, which covers the suture between them. Top of 

 head yellowish-brown, quite distinct from the body, and without markings. 

 Sides of head darker ; lips yellow, each plate with a black border, and 

 more or less numerous black spots. One of these, larger than the rest, 

 extends upwards towards the line of the posterior extremities of the parie- 

 tal scuta. Another extends a short distance posterior to the angle of the 

 mouth. 



Total length, M. .341 ; of tail, .148 ; to rictus oris, .007. Collection, 

 No. 14118. 



This small species is nearest to the B. ignita (Cope, Journal Academy 

 Phila., 1875, p. 140), in technical characters, but the inferior preocular has 

 a different position, and the coloration is entirely distinct. No. 14118. 

 3. Leptognathus stratissima, sp. nov. 



This species belongs to the section of the genus with elongate colubri- 

 form geneial scuta, smooth scales, and a larger vertebral series. The 

 scales of the vertebral series are longer than wide, and are truncate at 

 the apex, and do not exceed the other scales so much as is seen in some 

 species. This species differs from most of those of the same section, in 

 having the loreal entirely separated from the orbit by the well-developed 

 preocular. 



Scales in seventeen series. Internasal and prefrontal scuta broader than 

 long. Frontal large, wide. Parietals large, ioreal as high as long at base. 

 Oculars 1-2, the inferior postocular much smaller than the superior. 

 Superior labials eight, the third, fourth and fifth entering orbit. Tempo- 

 rals 2-3. Inferior labials six, in contact with geneials, the sixth separated 

 by a scale from the postgeneial for most of its length. Gastrosteges, 332 ; 

 anal, 1-1 ; urosteges, 130. 



Total length, M. .381; of tail, .100; to rictus oris, .008. Coll., No. 

 14121. 



Ground color light gray, which is covered by the following markings : 

 There are sixty-nine cross-bands of a deep brown, which narrow a little on 

 the sides, and have broadly rounded extremities at the second row of 



