78 BULLETIN 18 7, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



3. A middorsal longitudinal stripe, complete or interrupted ; no transverse 



markings 4 



No longitudinal stripes; cross bands present 6 



4. Dorsal stripe white or yellow, sharply defined on a dark brown or black 



ground color calif omlae 



Dorsal stripe poorly defined, brownish 5 



5. Dorsal stripe lighter than sides, belly uniformly stippled, brown nitida 



Body uniform brownish above, lateral scales with light centei-s ; belly 



mostly black, marbled with whitish catalinensis 



6. Most of .scales in light cross bands with dark bases 7 



Most of scales in light cross bands entirely light g'etulus boylii 



7. Light cross bands separating narrow dark blotches that do not reach 



ventral scales ; lateral scales white-centered getulus splendida 



Light cross bands separating broader dark rings that are unmarked with 

 white, even laterally (except on ventrals) 8 



8. White bars on prefrontals occupying less than half area of these scutes ; 



frontal plate uniform black, or with white restricted to a narrow, 

 transverse bar at its anterior end ; no white on parietals ; infralabials 



usually 9 getulus yvim.ensis 



White bars on prefrontals occupying more than half area on these plates ; 

 frontal plate with prominent white markings, or at least with a central 

 spot of white ; each parietal with one or more white spots ; infralabials 

 usually 10 getulus conjuncta 



9. A zigzag lateral white line on third and fourth scale rows; red bands 



(blotches) numerous (70 in types), only a few broken by contact of 



adjacent black borders kiioblocM 



No such lateral line; red bands (blotches) rarely so numerous, and when 

 about 70, most are broken medially by contact of adjacent black 



borders 10 



IjO. Pattern of dark-edged dorsal blotches of red, not reaching outer scale row- 11 

 Pattern in rings, or of blotches many of which reach outer scale row 12 



11. No markings on sides of body ; blotches on body 27, separated from each 



other by twice (or more) their own length, areas between covering four 



to seven scale lengths leonis 



Irregular markings on sides of body; blotches on body 31 to 47, space 

 between covering one and one-half scale lengths (less than length of a 

 single blotch) mexicana 



12. White rings or cross bands on body and tail more than 40 pyromelana 



White rings less than 40 13 



13. Scales in red areas black-tipped 14 



Scales in red areas not black-tipped 17 



14. Red rings narrowed raiddorsally by expansion of black rings, which some- 



times meet across red areas ; latter seldom longer than a single black 



ring middorsally 15 



Red rings not distinctly narrowed middorsally, longer than black rings — 16 



15. Snout entirely black or with reddish light areas ; total white rings usually 



33 or more 23 



Snout with irregular white patches, or a white transverse band; total 

 white rings usually less than 33 triangulum arcifera 



16. Ventrals 208 to 239, usually 220 or more ; white annuli on body and tail 18 



to 35, usually 21 or more triangulum polyzona 



Ventrals 203 to 219 ; annuli on body and tail 17 to 22, usually 20 or less. 



triangulum. blanchardi 



