AKT. 24 



SOUTH AMERICAN SNAKES AMARAL 



23 



led to compare M. dumerilii with M. corallinus in order to ascertain 

 whether the former were to be considered a vahd species or not. 



As represented in Boulenger's catalogue these two species can be 

 distinguished from each other only by the following characteristics: 



As far as the proportional length of the frontal is concerned, I have 

 found it to be a very poor character. The ratio of frontal to 

 parietal is 3 : 4.5 to 3 : 4.75 for specimens from Colombia and Ecuador, 

 consequently from the same zoogeographical region as the type of 

 M. dumerilii (Cartagena, Colombia), while for specimens from other 

 regions the ratio is 3.25:3.75 to 4.5:6.5. 



As regards the number of subcaudals the series examined shows 

 them to vary from 32 to 56 in specimens from Colombia and Ecua- 

 dor, thus agreeing with the figures assigned by Boulenger to specimens 

 of his M. corallinus collected elsewhere. 



Finally, the presence of outer rings in specimens from Colombia 

 and Ecuador can not be taken as a specific difference firstly because 

 Boulenger, himself, included in the synonymy of his M. corallinus 

 Jan's M. hocourti that has marked outer rings as seen in Jan's figure,^^ 

 secondly, because such rings are sometimes found in specimens from 

 Trinidad. 



On the strength of these data, I have decided to consider the speci- 

 mens from Colombia and Ecuador as belonging to a local race. 

 Likewise those from Trinidad and probably those from Venezuela 

 must be given subspecific rank, as they can be distinguished from 

 the typical form by the number of ventrals and by the disposition 

 of rings. I consequently recognize the following subspecies: 



1. MICRURUS CORALLINUS CORALUNUS (Wied) 



Diagnosis. — Body red with single black annuli edged with whitish 

 yellow; 14-26 annuli on the body in males and 17^/^-27 in females; 

 5-9 annuli on the tail in males and 4-6 in females; ventrals 186-207 

 in males and 198-221 in females. 



Type locality. — San Francisco, Cabo Frio, and Parahyba, Brazil. 



Distribution. — Found in southern, southeastern and central Brazil 

 as well as in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. 



12 Icon. Gen., 1872, pt. 42, pi. 6, fig. 2. 



