.MEXICAN SNAKES AND CROCODILMNS SMITH 



405 



*CONIOPHANES IMPERIALIS IMPERIAL1S (Kcnnicott) 



The Museum has two specimens, the type (No. 2060) 14 from Mata- 

 moros, Tamaulipas, and one (No. 25204) from Tuxpan, Veracruz. 



CONIOPHANES IMPERIALIS CLAVATUS (Peters) 



Twelve specimens are in the collection, as follows: Potrero Viejo, 

 Veracruz (Nos. 109774-82); Tenosique, Tabasco (Nos. 109783-4); 

 Palenque, Chiapas (No. 109785). 



The scutellation of the series is fairly uniform. All have one pre- 

 ocular, two postoculars, and eight supralabials ; the infralabials are 

 9-9 in eight, 9-10 in one, 10-10 in two, 10-11 in one; ventral and 

 caudal counts are given in table 4. 



Table 4. — Variation in Coniophaues imperialis clavatus 



The variation in coloration is considerable and regional. The 

 Potrero specimens have a short temporal stripe, not reaching the 

 end of the parietals (in one it comes very near) ; the dorsolateral 

 stripes are not broken on the nape ; and the middorsal stripe is about 

 one scale wide in five, much less in three. The Palenque and Ten- 

 osique specimens agree with each other and differ from the Potrero 

 specimens in having a longer temporal stripe (reaching end or very 

 near end of parietals) and the dorsolateral stripes broken at the 

 nape, leaving a round, nuchal spot on each side. The middorsal 

 stripe in the Palenque specimen is very narrow, while in the Tenosique 

 specimens it is broader but has a spotted appearance, as described 

 by Bailey (1939, pp. 36, 37). 



The Potrero specimens differ from the others also in having what 

 appears to be a distinctly smaller, narrower head. 



The Potrero specimens were found under stones; the one from 

 Palenque was found under a rotten log ; and the two Tenosique spec- 

 imens were found at night along a cart road, shortly after a heavy 

 rainstorm. 



The Museum has one other, from Orizaba, Veracruz (No. 12123). 



" Baird and Girard, in Baird, 1859, p. 23, pi. 10, fig. 1. 



