158 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 9i 



Paratypes. — U. S. N. M. No. 5569, Realejo, Nicaragua; No. 6805, 

 Guatemala; No. 32274, San Juan, Nicaragua. 



Diagnosis. — A member of the hiscutatus group, with large V- 

 sliaped marks on head; dark blotches completely divided, each of 

 practically all the resulting sections again partially split medially; 

 counted separately, blotches 33 (pairs numbering 17) ; ventrals 251 

 to 263 ; total counts 334 to 347. 



Description of holotype. — Supralabials 9-9, fourth and fifth enter- 

 ing orbit, third smallest, fifth (or sixth) largest; three preoculars, 

 upper largest, in contact with frontal; three large loreals, the 

 smallest lowermost and directly above third supralabial; three sub- 

 equal postoculars; three anterior temporals; infralabials 13-13, 4-5 

 in contact with chin shields. 



Dorsals in 25-26-17 rows, with two apical pits, those on posterior 

 third of body convex or bluntly keeled; ventrals 261; anal divided; 

 caudals 82. 



Maxilla with 11 teeth, the last two grooved, offset from others, 

 slightly shorter than longest anterior teeth, preceded by a short 

 diastema; other teeth separated from each other by equal spaces, 

 decreasing in size posteriorly; anterior smaller than succeeding 

 teeth, which are the largest of maxilla; tooth preceding fangs half 

 length of latter. 



Hemipenis (of No. 32274) 25 caudals long; flounces three, large, 

 covering a length equal to between seven and eight caudals; about 

 70 enlarged spines in a small area (length of four caudals) proximal 

 to flounces. 



General color gray; a dark-brown, black-edged bar extending 

 across top of head a little in front of eyes, anterior edge of frontal 

 about in its middle; this followed by a light bar which extends 

 diagonally onto sides of head, reaching labial border at eighth and 

 ninth labials ; this followed by a broad, V-shaped black mark, termi- 

 nating laterally even with mouth, split by a longitudinal white line 

 on middorsum; this followed by a somewhat narrower V-shaped 

 light mark, extending laterally to ventral surface ; following this, a 

 similar V-shaped dark mark, but this prolonged posteriorly and 

 uniting with first blotch, enclosing medially a long, broad, light line ; 

 this blotch is the first of a series of 33 brownish-gray, dark-edged 

 blotches, many of which are joined in pairs, most with a light, broad, 

 transverse median area which nearly divides them; sides of body 

 with a series of small, irregular spots, one placed between alternating 

 spots (i. e., between the pairs) ; ventral surface stippled, a little more 

 posteriorly than anteriorly ; ends of about every other or every third, 

 occasionally of two adjacent ventrals dark brown; chin and gular 

 region immaculate; ventral surface of tail a little more heavily 

 stippled than body. 



