ON A NEW SPECIES OF CHARINA FROM CALIFORNIA. 



BY E. D. COPE. 



(Plate xxxvi, fig. 1.) 



Charina brachyops, sp. uov. 



Prenasal separated from internasal; postnasal joining preocular, no 

 loral; prefrontal entering orbit; one superciliary; superior labials 8-9. 



Muzzle rather elongate; extremity depressed, rostral plate reflected t- 

 backwards above, but not separating internasals. These are about 

 equal in dimensions to each of the two pairs of the prefrontals, and like 

 them are not separated from each other by scales on the median line J 

 The frontal would be a semicircle, were it not that the anterior border 

 presents a very obtuse angle forwards. This border is continuous with 

 the anterior border of the superciliary, which is not the case in the C. 

 bottae. The posterior prefrontal passes in front of the single supercil-i 

 iary, and its posteroexternal border occupies more of the border of the 

 orbit than does the preocular below it. The parietal is a semicircular 

 band, and it is followed immediately by the usual type of scales. The 

 anterior prefrontals rest at their extremities equally on the postocular 

 and the postnasal. The former is trapezoidal, and is about as high as 

 long; the latter is a little longer than high. The prenasal is very small 

 Superior labials eight on one side and nine on the other, the eye rest-B 

 ing on the third, fourtb, and fifth on' one side, and on the same plus 

 the sixth on the other. Two postoculars. Three or four pairs of gen- 1 

 eials of about the same size as the gular scales. Scales of the body in 

 45 rows. Tail short, obtuse, with a dermal cap-scale. 



Color in alcohol, dark-brown above, light-brown or yellowish below. 



Scales, 45; labials, 8-9; length of body, 215; of tail, 28 rani . 

 . | 1. | Point Reyes,. Gal. | U. S. Fish Comm. | Alcoholic. 



The single small specimen described above, stands quite outside the 

 wide range of variation of the C. bottae* presenting characters which 

 might be and have been considered to be of generic importance. The 

 separation of the prenasal, and absence of the loreal plates can not, 

 however, be so used in this group in my opinion. 



* The C. ( Wenona) plinnbea B. & G. does not appear to me to be separable from the - 

 C. bottae of DeBlainville. 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, vol. xi, 1338. 

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