342 BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The aduU male (U.S.N.M., No. 7316r/; type; Naha, Okinawa 

 sliima; November, 1854; Wright, collector, figs. 293-295) is in all 

 essential features of scutellation like the om^ described above, except 

 that the snout is proportionally more elongated, with resulting longer 

 internasals and longer loreal. The coloration is more uniform above, 

 with faint indications of longitudinal dusky streaking, which is very 

 marked on the side of the neck as interrupted longitudinal black 

 streaks; last two supralabials marked as in the young. 



Tyinunsions. 



mm. 



Total length 492 



Snout to vent 385 



Vent to tip of tail 107 



This snake grows to be more than SOO nun. long. 



Variation. — Variation both as to scutellation and coloration is 

 rather slight in this species. The most noteworthy abnormalit}^ is pre- 

 sented by U.S.N.M., No. 11127, which has the fifth supralabial on 



293 295 



294 



Figs. 293-295.— Liopeltis semicarinata. 2 X nat. size. 293, top of head; 294, side of head; 

 295, underside of head. No. 7316o, U.S.N.M. 



both sides divided by a horizontal suture so as to cut off a large pos- 

 terior subocular. The number of scale rows, oculars, temporals, and 

 supralabials seems to be absolutely constant, the ventrals and sub- 

 caudals vary between narrow limits. The greatest deviation from 

 the normal is shown by the t^^pe of O. nehulosus, which is said to have 

 only 174 ventrals, while in the other recorded specimens this number 

 oscillates between 185 and 192; the subcaudals vary from 70 to 82. 



The most aberrant coloration is shown by one of five large indi- 

 viduals in the Science College Museum, Tokyo. It has four very dis- 

 tinct brown longitudinal stripes on the whole length of the body from 

 nape to vent, while the upper two stripes continue to the end of the 

 tail. These specimens were collected by Mr. Tashiro in Okinawa 

 shima. 



Hahitat. — Restricted to the Riu Kiu Archipelago. The types were 

 collected during the Rodgers North Pacific Exploring Expedition at 



