VARIATIONS OF GARTER-SNAKES. 



165 



The writer has seen but eleven specimens of this form (inchisive 

 of the damaged t3^pes of sumichrasti) , but these are so uniformly 

 unique that he has no hesitancy in giving them the rank of a form 

 The lateral stripes are generally present, although occasionally not 

 very distinct, and are in every specimen on the second and third 

 scale rows anteriorly, but generally only on the second posteriorly. 

 The dorsal stripe is usually absent, although occasionally present 

 for a short distance anteriorly, more rarely for the entire length. 

 Coloration otherwise much as in eques, the ground color being brownish 

 with lighter keels, and the lateral sp<its little evidenced upon the 

 scales, except anteriorly, wliere they form a pair of distmct nuchals 

 and occasionally one or two large transverse l)lotches between the 

 stripes. The scutellation has been summarized in the following table: 



Scutellation of Thamnophis sumichrasti Cope. 



No. 

 U.S. 



N. M. 



Locality. 



20501 Orizaba, Mexico 



(?) 

 (?) 



17-15 

 17-15 

 17-15 



17-15 8 



17-15 j S 



17-15 j 8 



10-17-15 ' 8 



17-15 j 8 



17-19-17-15 i 8 



(?) 

 (?) 

 147 

 140 

 155 



149 



152 

 155 



153 

 154 



M) ! -^ : 



mm 



(?) 



( 



(?) 



(?) 



(?) 



496 



425 



223 



(?) 



530 



(?) 



mm 



(?) 

 (?) 

 (?) 

 (?) 

 (?) 



126 



55 

 (?) 

 13() 



(?) 



(?) 

 (?) 

 (?) 

 (?) 

 (?) 



.240 



(?) 



Remarks. 



Type. 



. 250 Type of chry- 



socephala. 

 (?) 



As shown from this table, the form suniichrasfi as now known is 

 characterized by a small dorsal scale formula, and exhibits an appar- 

 ent tendency toward a smaller number of infi'alabials than 10, and 

 possibly also a smaller number of ventral plates than is usual in the 

 larger members of the genus. The tail length as far as shown by 

 the material is similar to that of most of the forms exclusive of tl^ose 

 of the Sauritus group. 



Range. — The only specimens of sumiclirasti that I have seen are 

 from Orizaba, Veracruz. Boulenger (1S93, 20.3) records specimens 

 of chrysocephalus from Omilteme and Amula, Gtierrero, Giinther 

 (1894, 133) specimens of godmani from the same localities, Bocourt 

 a specimen of sumichrasti from Coban, Guatemala, and Cope a 

 specimen of sumichrasti as possibly from ''the Plateau of Costa 

 33553— Bull. 61—08 12 



