ART. 24 



SOUTH AMERICAN SNAKES AMARAL 



27 



Summarizing the above data according to both sex and geo- 

 graphical distribution of the various specimens, the following averages 

 have been found: 



Locality 



1. So. America - 



2. Trinidad 



3. Venezuela 



4. Dutch Quiana 



5. Peru 



6. Brazil 



(a) Amazonas 



(6) Para 



(c) Piauhy 



(d) Ceara 



(e) Pernambuco.. 

 (/) Bahia. 



(ff) Esp. Santo... 

 (h) Rio 



(0 Minas 



0) S. Paulo 



General average 



Number 

 of speci- 

 mens 



Sex 



9 



9 

 9 

 9 



cfc? 

 99 

 c?cf 

 cfcT 

 99 

 cfc? 

 99 

 Gfcf 

 99 



cf 

 d'd' 



9 

 d'^ 



9 



99 



99 



213 



214 



218 • 



246i ■ 



221 • 



232 • 



233 ■ 



222 ■ 

 226+J 

 207 ■ 

 226 ■ 



214 -: 



232 -; 



205 

 234 



•234+i 



235 



■241 



208 



237 



246 



267 



•235 



-249 



■224 



■238 



236 



■231 



■236 



■247 



263 



231 



233+i 



233 



241 



258 



243 



264 



205 -247 

 226 -267 



27-40 p 

 25 p.+ . 

 26-40 p 

 29 p.... 

 38 p... 



36 p.... 



37 p.... 

 21-42 p. 

 39-41 p 

 24-36 p 

 24-26 p 

 22-24 p. 

 24-26 p 

 24-27 p. 

 22-41 p. 

 24-41 p. 

 23 p.... 

 23-26 p. 

 25 p.... 

 29-36 p. 

 28 p.... 

 23-41 p. 

 27-35 p. 



21-42 p. 

 22-41 p 



Triads of annul! 



Body 



9-11 



7 



8-12 



12 



14 



9 



13 



6-12 



10-14 



8- 9 



9-10 



8- 9 



9 



7- 8 



7-12 



9-11 



11 



8-10 



7 



11-14 



12 



9-14 



12-18 



5-14 

 7-18 



Tail 



li 

 1+ 

 lf-2 



H 



1 



IF 



i 



i 

 i 



If 



lt-2 



U-2 



On the basis of the study of these 102 specimens I am now able to 

 redescribe the species as follows: 



MICRURUS LEMNISCATUS (Linnaeus) 



Eye about two to three fifths its distance from the oral margin. 

 Rostral wider than deep; frontal as wide as or much wider than the 

 supraocular, once and a half to twice as long as wide, as long as its 

 distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals, which 

 are longer than their distance from the internasals; one prae — and 

 two postoculars; temporals 1 + 1, anterior usually much longer 

 and narrower than posterior; seven upper labials, third much larger 

 than fourth, third and fourth entering the orbit; four lower labials 

 in contact with the anterior chin-shields which are about as long as 

 the posterior. Scales in 15 rows. Ventrals 205-247 in males, 

 226-267 in females; anal divided; subcaudals 21-42. Body red 

 with triads of black annuli, subequal or the middle a little wider; 

 6-14 triads on the body in males, 7-18 in females; usually 1-2 triads 

 on the tail; black annuli separated by light yellow ones which may 

 be spotted or dotted with black or only have black-edged scales; 

 head red (yellow sometimes in preserved specimens), with two 

 transverse black bands, one on the snout and another across the 

 frontal region; sometimes one or two small spots on the occiput or 

 head-shields black, edged with yellow. 



