"""iH-il" ] PROf:Ki:i)I\GS OF THK NATIONAL MUSKUM. 603 



GYALOPIUM Coj..-. 

 I'roc. Aciul. I'liila.. IdCd, -Jl',; Itiill. l. S. Nal. Miis., lr?"<7, A-i, p. r.v>. 



Form stout, tail short. Head sli<;litly distinct, lar^a^, depressed. 

 Kostral plate acute, its anterior border elevated, its upper snrtace 

 concave. It is produced backwards, soparatin;; the internasals and pre- 

 frontals, Internasals present : prefrontals, one pair. Nasal confounded 

 with the first labial, a jfroove ironi the nostril to the suture of the se(!- 

 ond labial. No Itueal, its place supplied by tin' i»refrontal. One pre- 

 ocular. Post genitals rudiinental. Scales smootii ; anal and subcainlal 

 scutelhi divided. Teeth small, of ecjual lengths. I'upil round. 



This iicnus introduces us to a type wiiich is especially .Mexican and 

 which iiichules the ji^enera Ficimiti (Iray, Oi/miKs (\>pe, and ConojKsifi 

 Giinther. Si/injiholis Coi)o is probably also allied, as well as pcrhap.s 

 Geaf/ras Cope. Tiiey all have protuberaiit rostral sliield.s, wlii<ii are in 

 the tirst three genera named more or less recurved. liesides the (i. raniiiu 

 there is but one species of (lyahipiiim, the 0. /nililium Cope,* which 

 lias been found in Yucatan. 



Ivoshiil plat*" ii-achiiij; iVnntal ; sevontccn rows of scales; sovi-ii lal>ials; iinatlrali: 

 1 now II dorsal spots ; lai';^er C. piihliiim. 



Host ral not readiiiifj frontal ; .sevcnt«'eii rows of scalca : seveu superior l.aliials : trans- 

 verse brown bands ; smaller C. r<tnuiii. 



Gyalopium canuin Coi>e. 



Proc. Acad. Pliila., l-ii;o, p. \i\l. Coucs. IJ. .S. (J. G. Expl. .Surv. W. Iddth Mer.. V, p. 

 (I-il.Pl \\\i\,f.'2,'2a; Cope, Check List N. .Vnn r. l!atr. Kept., H7."), p. :<r>. /Iciwia 

 cana (larnian, Mem. Mns. Comp. Zoiil.. ('aml>r.. viii. 1—^:! p. H'.I. 



Arizoim. 



ABASTOR (M-ay. 



Cat. .Snakes lUit. Mas., IS\0, p. 7^: \Ul. and Gird.. Cat. Serp. N. .Viner. KiA. )>. 1-J.'>; 

 Cope. Hull. U. S. Nat. Mns. M. I'-Hl, p. f.H. 



Head subconical, continuous with the body. Cephalic i)lates normal. 

 One nasal, grooved beneath the nostril. Noanteorbitals. One loral, to- 

 gether with the prefrontals, constituting the orbit anteriorly. Teetii 

 equal. Pupil circidar. Scales smootii. Last abdominal sciittlbiiii bilid. 

 Subcaiulals all bilid. 



This genus is represented by a single species, which inhabits the 



southern part of the Neartic region. It is thus (characterized : 



Scales in nineteen rows; superior labials seven ; tail one-seventh of total lenj^tli. or 

 shorter. IHni.sh black, with three red stripes above ; below llesli ct)lored. with a 

 serii's of l)lnish-l)lack spots on ivich side 1. niilhro<jraminiiii. 



Abastor erythrogammtis Dandin. 



Gray, Cat Snakes Hrit. Mns., l-<Ji», 78 ; Md. and (Jird.. t^at. Snnkes \. \mer., 1H.V2. 



1>>.'>; Cope Check List IJatr. Re).!. N. Amer.. l-7."<. :r.. 

 Coluber triithrot/rammiis, Dand., Hist. Ivept.. vii, IT'.t'.t, 'XX. Tali -"J, V\,r, o n.ilbr V 



Amer. Herp., Ist ed.. I. 1H:1(>, 11.'.. IM. xxii. 



* Proceeds. Acad. Pliila.. l~i>ii. p. IJ<''. Fieimin ornaia llocourt, Missiou Soientif. de 

 Mexique, p. r>71, PI. xxv. Tiu. 10. 



