348 BULLETIN 17 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Possibly more than two species occur on Hispaniola, but unfor- 

 tunately members of this genus are rare, and it is difficult to generalize 

 when so few specimens have been secured. 



KEY TO THE HISPANIOLAN SPECIES OF ALSOPHIS 



Ventrals exceeding 200; scales in 21 rows anomalus (p. 358) 



Ventrals less than 200; scales in 17 rows melanichnus (p. 351) 



Thus far little attention has been paid to the presence or absence of 

 a deep groove running along the upper borders of the upper labials 

 on the loreal region and continuing behind the eye between the 

 temporals and the upper borders of the labials. In some species of 

 Alsophis the groove becomes a channel marked with dark pigment and 

 having many small pits; sometimes it seems actually to slice and 

 straighten the tops of the upper labials, as in portoricensis. A 



b 



Figure 104. — a, Alsophis antillensis: Side of head showing straight furrow bordering upper 

 labials posteriorly, U.S.N.M. No. 52547, from St. Thomas; b, A. portoricensis: Side of 

 head, U.S.N.M. No. 27766, from Humacao, Puerto Rico. One and one-half times natural 

 size. 



few species of Alsophis lack this groove behind the eye entirely, 

 and the labials grade into the temporals smoothly and without de- 

 pression. 



Those species that have their posterior upper labials bordered by a 

 furrow and more or less straightened above are antillensis (fig. 104a); 

 portoricensis (fig. 1046); leucomelas; ater; vudii; angulijer; adspersus; 

 caymanus; and sanctae-crucis. Those with the posterior labials on a 

 plane with the temporal region, with more or less serrate upper 

 border, are melanichnus and rufiventris. Two species— anomalus and 

 sibonius — show but a slight, short groove, extending only a little way 

 behind the eye. 



ALSOPHIS ANOMALUS (Peters) 



Figure 105 



1863. Zamenis anomalvs Peters, Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, 1863, p. 282 

 (type locality unknown). 



1888. Dromicus (Alsophis) anomalus Fischer, Jahrb. Hamburg Wiss. Anst., 

 vol. 5, p. 37 (Cape Haytien; Grand Riviere, Hayti; collector, H. Rolle). — 

 Muller, Verb.. Naturf. Ges. Basel, vol. 10, No. 1, p. 203, 1892 ("Pet. 

 Gonaives a. Haiti")- — Boulenger, Catalogue of the snakes in the British 

 Museum, vol. 2, p. 125, 1894 (Hayti). — Meerwarth, Mitth. Nat. Mus. 

 Hamburg, vol. 18, p. 13, 1901. 



