428 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEVM vol.93 



♦ERYTHROLAMPRUS AESCULAPII (Linnaeus) 



One specimen in the Museum (No. 31283) is labeled "Guadalajara," 

 Jalisco, without further comment or indication of collector. As there 

 is no other precise record of this genus in Mexico, and the authority for 

 the above specimen is unknown, I believe it unwise to accept this record 

 as valid. It is a male, with 15 scale rows; ventrals 194; caudals 59; 

 supralabials 7-7; infralabials 9-9; preoculars 1-1; postoculars 2-2; 

 temporals 1-2; 16 pairs of black rings on body, 3 on tail. Scales in 

 red areas black-tipped; red areas covering about 8 scale lengths; pairs 

 of black rings usually complete about belly ; scales between the rings of 

 a single pair also black-tipped. Black rings covering iy 2 -2 scale 

 lengths laterally, 2-2y 2 dorsally ; a whole pair, with its enclosed light 

 rings, covers 5y 2 -6 scale lengths. Belly with but a few flecks of black, 

 aside from rings. Rings about tail very distinct ventrally. A large 

 area on top of head dark; anterior edges of internasals and prefrontals, 

 anterior and median edges of first and upper secondary temporals, 

 anterior half of lower secondary temporal, and all except anterior 

 upper edge of rostral, light cream ; a curved, cream line near posterior 

 edge of parietals; supralabials cream, except for dark posterior edges; 

 posterior edges of a few anterior infralabials dark. First pair of 

 black rings (nuchal) barely involving tips of parietals, and the two 

 partially fused middorsally, thus interrupting the narrow light band 

 between them. 



In spite of the belief that acceptable evidence of the occurrence of 

 this genus in Mexico is lacking, there are numerous vague references, 

 summarized in the following synonymy, which refer only to "Mexico?" 

 records : 



Erythrolamprus aeseulapii Lichtenstein, Nomenclator . . . Berolinensis, p. 30, 

 1856. — MIteler, Reisen in den Yereinigten Staaten, Canada und Mexico, 

 p. 607, 1865. — Gunther, Biologia Centralia-Americana, Rept. Batr., p. 166, 

 1895. — Boulenger, Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum, vol. 3, 

 pp. 200-204, 1896.— Amabal, Mem. Inst. Butantan, vol. 4, p. 216, 1920. 



Erythrolamprus larvatus Jan, Cenni sul Museo Civico di Milano, ed indice siste- 

 matico dei rettili ed anfibi esposti nel medeeimo, p. 4S', 1857 (nomai mid urn). 



Erythrolamprus bizona Jan, Arch. Zool., vol. 2, pp. 104, 105 (part), 1863. 



Erythrolamprus aeseulapii bizona Jan, Elenco sistematico degli ofidi . . ., p. 55 

 (part), 1863. 



Erythrolamprus venustissimus var. B. Jan, Cenni sul Museo Civico di Milano, ed 

 indice sistematico dei rettili ed anfihi esposti nel medeeimo, p. 4S, 1857. 



Erythrolamprus venustissimus var. D Gunther, Catalogue of the snakes in the 

 British Museum, pp. 47-48, 1858— Garman, Bull. Essex Inst. vol. 16, p. 28, 

 1884. 



Erythrolamprus venustissimus Bocourt, Mission scientifique an Mexique et dans 

 l'Amerique centrale, Rept., livr. 10. pp. 658-660, pi. .38. fig. 4, 18S6. 



Erythrolamprus guentheri Gasman, Mem. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 8, p. 154, 1883 

 (for E. venustissimus var. I) of Giinther). 



