THE HERPETOLOGY OF HISPANIOLA 



309 



1919; Zoologica, vol. 11, No. 4, p. 107, 1930; vol. 19, No. 3, p. 130, 1935; Bull. 

 Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 82, No. 2, p. 149, 1937.— Schmidt, Bull. Amer. Mus. 

 Nat. Hist., vol. 44, art. 2, p. 18, 1921. — Cochran, Journ. Washington Acad. 

 Sci., vol. 14, pp. 174-179, 1924; Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 66, art. 6, p. 11, 

 1924; Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 41, p. 54, 1928. — Amaral, Mem. 

 Inst. Butantau, vol. 4, p. 137, 1929. 



Description. — U.S.N.M. No. 55298, from Sanchez, Santo Domingo, 

 collected in October 1916 by Dr. W. L. Abbott. Head rather de- 

 pressed, snout strongly projecting, somewhat rounded when viewed 

 from above; diameter of body varying from 7 mm. on the neck to 10 

 mm. at midbody and near the tail, contained in total length 30 times. 

 Rostral broader than the first median scale behind it (the "prefrontal") 

 about two-sevenths the width of the head, extending well behind a 

 line drawn between the anterior edges of the eyes ; nostril on the lateral 

 horizontal edge, on a suture that extends from the middle of the upper 

 edge of the second supralabial to the rostral suture at the lateral 

 horizontal edge, the lower anterior nasal thus being in contact with 



Figure 87. — Typhlops lumbricalis: a, Top of head; b, side of head; c, chin. U.S.N.M. 

 No. 55298, from Sanchez, Dominican Republic. Three times natural size. 



the first and second supralabials and the upper posterior one with the 

 second and third; nasals not in contact behind the rostral; preocular 

 as wide and as high as the ocular, in contact with the third supra- 

 labial; eye very distinct; ocular with its anterior edge forming a 

 compound curve like an inverted S, in contact with the third and 

 fourth supralabials. An enlarged elongate "parietal" scale bordering 

 the upper half of the posterior edge of the ocular plate; parietals 

 separated from each other by a frontal and an interparietal; the three 

 median scales behind the rostral (prefrontal, frontal, and interparietal) 

 subequal and all much smaller than the parietals, not quite so large 

 as the true body scales on the back; one postocular situated between 

 the parietal and the last supralabial; four upper labials, the last 

 largest. Scale rows 20, posteriorly 18; ventrals 257; subcaudals 11; 

 tail ending in a spine. 



Dimensions: Total length, 300 mm.; tail, 8 mm. 



Color: Above reddish brown, the color deepening to chestnut on 

 the frontal region, each scale being light-edged; a dark-brown stripe 

 along the center of the rostral shield and a brown spot on the third 



