THE HERPETOLOGY OF HISPANIOLA 



315 



separated by cross bands of the body color one scale in width, and 

 having a central group of buff -colored scales; on the sides a very 

 irregular series of darker spots; tail and posterior part of body dull 

 clove brown with occasional scattered groups of light or dark scales; 

 ventral surface pale olive-buff, the posterior borders white. 



Remarks. — Steindachner's excellent figure of Epicrates versicolor is 

 almost identical with some Haitian specimens. The length of the 

 frontal, which Steindachner mentions as a possible distinguishing 

 feature, is an exceedingly variable character in the genus. Stein- 

 dachner himself was doubtful of the distinctness of his species and 

 felt that intermediates might possibly be found between Epicrates 



Figure 90. — Epicrates striatus striatus: a, Top of head; b, side of head; c, chin. U.S.N.M. 

 No. 55044, from Samana Peninsula, Dominican Republic. Natural size. 



versicolor from "Columbia" and Epicrates striatus from the Antilles 

 that would make it necessary to unite the two species. It is probable 

 that his specimen did not come from Colombia at all, but might have 

 been caught in New Providence or Haiti where it must have once 

 been fairly abundant. 



Variations. — Some of the head shields are rather variable in size 

 and shape. The posterior prefrontals, for example, are large and 

 relatively few in number in some of the specimens, while in others 

 they are broken up into many scales, small and irregular in shape, 

 but arranged rather symmetrically across the snout. The frontal 

 plate assumes a great variety of shapes. Sometimes its outline is 



