ON THE ZOOLOGICAL POSITION OF TEXAS. 21 



rows, all smooth ; ^perior labials, seven ; the orbit bounded by the third 

 and more largely by the fourth ; loreal, small, quadrangular, longer than 

 high ; oculars, 1-2 anterior short, covered above by sui)erciliary ; post- 

 oculars resting on fourth labial ; fifth and sixth labials equal, as high 

 as long ; pariotals, large, long ; frontal, longer than wide ; prefrontals, 

 transverse. Internasals partly separated by rostral, which is not very 

 prominent. Inferior labials six ; first pair meeting; fourth largest. Post- 

 geueials extremely short. Temporals little larger than body-scales, 1-2. 

 Muzzle obtuse; head scarcely distinct ; eye small. Gastrosteges 163; 

 anal 1-1 ; urosteges varying in Texan specimens from 35 to 45. 



There are three well-marked color varieties, which pass into each other. 

 They are as follows : 



Subspecies I, episcopa. Ground color ashen to rosy, with the scales 

 broadly tipped with brown. A few only of the median rows of dorsal 

 scales may be red; and the toj) of the head may or may not be brown. 



Subspecies II, torquata. Ground color light yellow tinged with brown 

 above ; three median dorsal rows orange. Top of head, from anterior 

 border of frontal to near end of occipitals, black. A transverse black 

 spot commencing on the fourth scale behind the occipitals, two scales 

 long and including the fourth row of scales from the gastrosteges on 

 each side. In one specimen the third and fourth rows of scales black 

 at their bases, forming a double lateral stripe, extending from the end 

 of the half collar to beyond the middle of the body. In a second speci- 

 men these lines are absent. Lips and below, immaculate. Gastrosteges 

 183 ; anal divided ; urosteges 38. 



I have but two specimens of this variety, of which one is known to 

 be from ISTorthwestern Texas, and the other of uncertain locality, but 

 probably from the same region. In the smaller, the third superior labial 

 is almost excluded from the orbit ; in the latter it has the usual share. 

 In the latter also the top of the head is brown, as is often the case in 

 the visual variety. 



Subspecies III, isozona. There are four specimens of this form in the 

 collection; in two of them the ground color is ashy, in two red. The 

 back is traversed by from nineteen to twenty-one black cross-bands of 

 three and a half scales in length; there are six on the tail. Belly uni- 

 form. In two specimens the top of the head is black ; in another it is 

 like the general ground color. In the same specimen the dorsal bars 

 are very faint. This is Gontia isozona Cope (1800), Wheeler Survey, 

 Zoology, PI. XVIII. 



