REPTILIA. 337 



Alsophis bruesi, sp. nov. 



Type: — No. 7,792, M. C. Z., adult, near St. George's, Grenada, G. M. Allen 

 and C. T. Brues, collectors. Six other specimens from the same source in the 

 collection. 



By a curious coincidence the only ground snake that either Brues or Allen 

 obtained upon Grenada was a true Alsophis having scales in seventeen rows and 

 with two distinct pores in each one. This species they found rather abundant, 

 and they brought back seven fairly well-preserved examples. Neither Garman 

 nor any other collector, apparently, has hitherto found this genus upon Grenada. 

 Undoubtedly some peculiarity of habit or habitat has enabled it not only to 

 survive in spite of the presence of the mongoose, but to become, apparently, 

 the most abundant ophidian on the island. 



Rostral much broader than high, scarcely visible from above; internasal 

 suture a little shorter than prefrontal suture; frontal equal to its distance from 

 end of snout, shorter than parietals, separated from preocular by only a short 

 interspace; supraocular at its posterior margin almost equal in width to the 

 anterior margin of frontal; nasal divided, shorter than its distance from eye; 

 loreal a little more than twice as long as high, an almost perfect rectangle; a 

 large preocular; two postoculars, lower smaller than upper; a large anterior 

 temporal, with almost always a small scale intercalated above it, anteriorly. 

 In the type this small scale has a lower position on one side so that one small 

 temporal seems to be followed by the larger one. Two large temporals follow; 

 nine supralabials (in all specimens), second and third in contact with labial, 

 fourth with preocular, and slightly entering orbit; five and six in orbit; nine or 

 ten lower labials, five in contact with anterior chin shields ; anterior chin shields 

 scarcely more than half as long as posterior; scales smooth, in seventeen rows, 

 each with two conspicuous apical pits; ventrals 198, anal divided; subcaudals 

 in 121 pairs. Length of body 700 mm., tail 310 mm. Color (in alcohol) above 

 uniform olive-drab or slightly darker, below whitish or light slatey gray, with 

 two lateral white lines on the ventrals, which may have slightly darker margins. 

 Throat usually yellowish, the fourth scale row on each side light in color; a dark 

 loreal band generally extending for some distance behind the eye. 



Variations: — A young specimen about 400 irmi. in total length has each 

 side margined with blackish, and hght lateral line covering the fourth and half 

 of the fifth row of scales. The characteristic squamation and coloration is 

 remarkably stable. The largest specimen, which is not as well preserved as the 

 type, measures 760 mm. in total length, and 320 in length of tail. The range of 



