^"{'8!h"''] pkoceedings of tmk national museum. .097 



Carphophiops vermis Ktim. 



Cope, Cluck List Batr. Kept. N. Amer., IST.'i, p. :;;. ( clutu rtrinin Kvmiicoit. l'r.»c-. 

 Acad. I'hila., 1S.')1», p. W. 



The tlistribiitioii of this .species is in tin- southwestern imri of ihe 

 eastern region. 



TANTILLA I5.1. (Jml. 



Cat. 8erp. N. A., 1853. p. I'M; Cope, .loiirn. Acuil. I'liila., l?<7r., p. li;; ; JJull. l'. S. Nat. 

 Mii.s.,:W, p. .')2, 1887; Homalocrani urn Dmn. I'lodroiiie Clasn Kept. Opliid., Ki.t, 

 p. 1) 1 ; rmuther, Cat. Col. Snakes B. M. IH.'iS, p. 18. 



Head depressed, continuous with the body. Cephalic i>hites normal. 

 Internasals and prefrontals two each. Posterior maxillary tooth 

 grooved. Two nasals, nostrils in the anterior plat«'. No loral. Ante- 

 rior orbital one; posterior one or two. Eyes below the medium size. 

 Body subcylindrical ; tail short. SeaU's smooth. I'ostabdominal scu- 

 tella bilid. Subcaudals all divided. 



This genus is distributed throughout the Neotropical Kealni except- 

 ing the West Indian Region, Trinidad excepted. Its species are espe- 

 cially abundant in the Central American district. Three species are 

 found in the Nearctic Kealm. They ditler as follows: 



I. Superior labials six ; orbitals 1-1 



Muzzle produced ; preorbital not in contact with superciliary uor nasal: three 

 lonj^itudinal bands T. calamariiia, Cope. 



Muzzle less produced ; preorbital in citntact with superciliary and nasal; tempo- 

 ral one ; three bauds 7". himaciilata. Cope. 



Temporals two ; no l)an<ls T. gnu Hi ^. I'd :niil flird. 



II. Superior labials seven ; orbitalsl-1. 



Coloration uniform J', planiceps, Blainv. 



III. Superior labials seven : two postorbitals. 



A. I'ostna.sals in contact with preocular, or nearly so. 



li. Posterior labials elevated, separated tVoii: parietals by one temporal. 



Frnm slender ; a yellow black bordered collar near jiaritlal ]>l:m-s; below red. 



/". minialii. Cope.* 

 BB. I'oNterior labials elevated, botunled above by two temporals (longitud- 

 inally). 

 Ih'osteges t)8; head black with yellow collar; body brown with thnc yellow 



stripes T. dtniata, Boc. 



Urosteges 5,V(i:{ ; labials higher; lirst inferior labials separated; black 



everywhere, with yellow collar /. inotHta. (".thr. 



I'rostoges ;!T ; blai k above, with vcllow coll.ir; yellowish bdow. 



T. KtbintOHi. Boc. 



Frontal narrower; posterior labials higher, body liglit, djirk banded. 



/'. milainuephdlti. Liun. 



Frontal wider; postenot laluals lowtT ; body unilnrin red T. rubra, Cop*-. 



BB. Posterior labials lower, bouinled above by two temporals ( lon.jitiidin.iilvV 

 C. Inferior labials of first jiair in contact on the middle line. 



Postnasal very small ; collar far ludiind head ; body bunded ; urosteges r>L 



7". armillnia, Cope. 



Postnasal large; collar crossing parietal scute; bmly unicolor; below 



whitish; urostegea :^5 T. coroiiatn, Bd. and Gird. 



* Homalocranitim deppvi. Boc. Miss. Sci. Mex., 168.1, p. r>84, pl.xxxvi, f. 11. 



