344 



BULLETIN 58, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Description. — Adult male; U.S.N.M.No. 34014; Ishicraki shima, 

 E-iii Kill Archipelago; June, 1899; Owston collection (figs. 296-297). 

 Rostral as high as broad, just visible from above; internasals very 

 small, much less than one-half the size of the prefrontals, which are 

 broadly in contact with supraoculars; frontal as long as its distance 

 from tip of snout and as interparietal suture, broader than supra- 

 oculars, considerably broader in front than behind; parietals broad, 

 much longer than frontal ; nostril large between two nasals, of which 

 the posterior is much the larger; loreal, long and low, twice as long 

 as high ; one preocular widely separated from frontal ; two postoculars ; 

 1+2 large temporals; 8 supralabials, fourth and fifth entering eye, 

 seventh largest, twice as high as eighth, which is very small, smaller 



Figs. 296-297.— Liopeltis hermin.e. 1| X nat. size. 296, top of head: 297, side of head. No. 



34014, U.S.N.M. 



than the temporal immediately above it; four lower labials in contact 

 with anterior chin-shields which are longer than the posterior (on 

 one side, shorter on the other) ; 17 rows of scales, which are smooth 

 except on the posterior fourth of the body, where they show a faint 

 keel at the base; 162 ventrals; anal divided; 52 pairs of subcaudals. 

 Color (in alcohol) above, olive gray, each scale with an ill-defined 

 median dusky spot near the tip, thus forming faint dusky longitudinal 

 lines; underside whitish, some ventrals with a gray line along the 

 base, and the subcaudals more or less mottled with gray; four 

 median supralabials white, with dark gray sutures, the others olive- 

 gray, like the top and sides of the head. 



Dimensions. 



mm. 



Total length 745 



Snout to vent 610 



Vent to tip of tail 135 



Variation. — The only noteworthy deviation from the above descrip- 

 tion shown by the type specimen in the Senckenberg Museum is the two 

 undivided subcaudals following the first two pairs; the ventrals are 

 practically identical in number, while the subcaudals are slightly more 



