THE HERPETOLOGY OF HISPANIOLA 



317 



ring of scales, separating the eye from the upper labials, distinguishes 

 angulifer from striatus readily enough. 



Whether the New Providence snake is really identical with the 

 Haitian one is a question that has been discussed by several authors. 

 Cope described Homalochilus strigilatus from New Providence in 1862, 

 partly on features of the head scalation, which have since proved to be 

 entirely inconstant, and partly on coloration, the Haitian serpents 

 supposedly not possessing the fairly continuous dark lateral band 

 anteriorly, as did the New Providence ones. In a very young boa 

 from New Providence (U.S.N. M. No. 36596) the lateral band is 

 exceedingly conspicuous and distinct for over half the body length ; in 

 four young Haitian boas of about the same size (U.S.N.M. Nos. 9802, 

 66714, 66715, and 69432) the breaking up into spots begins on the 

 neck — the first spot, somewhat more elongate than the rest, being the 

 only reminder of the origin of the lateral stripe so relatively unbroken 

 in the New Providence specimens. All the adults from both islands in 

 the National Museum series at least coincide with the coloration of the 

 respective young, except in one specimen, U.S.N.M. No. 12671, 

 supposedly collected in Haiti by Younglove. In this specimen there 

 is certainly a more distinct lateral stripe than appears in the other 

 specimens known to be from Haiti. 



Under the circumstances, nevertheless, it seems advisable to retain 

 the subspecific name of strigilatus for the snakes from the Bahamas. 



Specimens examined. — As listed in table 59. 



Table 59. — Specimens of Epicrates striatus striatus examined 



