THE HERPETOLOGY OF HISPANIOLA 



375 



Color: Olive above, tip of snout a little lighter; a black line from 

 the nostril through the eye and continuing on the sides of the neck; a 

 heavy black mark beginning on the frontal, continuing down the 

 parietal suture, bifurcating and joining with the black line on the side 

 of the head to form a large and conspicuous black W across the head; 

 behind this a series of large irregular black spots, which very quickly 

 become broken up into numerous smaller ones and finally lose their 

 individuality completely, appearing only as black edges on some of 

 the scales and forming short irregular bars occasionally. Posterior 

 half of body and tail dark grayish brown, with dusky clouding on the 

 edges of the scales. Throat and labials gray with black spots, which 

 also occur on the anterior ventrals. Remainder of ventrals and sub- 

 caudals yellowish gray with a suffusion of dark pigment on the posterior 

 borders of every scale. 



Table 74. — Specimens of Ialtris dorsalis examined 



Variations.— In the number of ventral plates the range is not great, 

 being from 180 to 191; the subcaudals are 100 to 110. In one of the 

 specimens in the U. S. National Museum, No. 60605, there are three 

 postoculars on one side of the head, instead of the customary number, 



