CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



807 



ZAMENIS LATERALIS Hallowell. 



Bascanium tceniatum laterale Cope, Check-list N. Amer. Batr. Rept., 1875, p. 40. 

 Lepptophis lateralis Hallowell, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1853, p. 237; U.S. 

 Pac. R. R. Report, X, 1859, Williamson's Report, p. 13, pi. iv, fig. 3. 



Form slender, head oval, distinct from body, tail a little less than one- 

 third the total length. Scales in seventeen longitudinal rows; superior 

 labials eight, the fourth and fifth bounding the orbit below. Muzzle 

 not elongate nor decurved, but flattened, and its extremity but little 

 prominent. Eostral plate slightly recurved on upper surface of muzzle, 

 luternasals as wide as long. Frontal narrowed behind, half as wide 

 as superciliary in adults. Parietals truncatemarginate posteriorly. 

 Dorsal longer than high. Sixth superior labial truncate above ; seventh 

 and eighth longer than 

 high. Nine inferior la- 

 bials, the fifth largest. 

 Postgeneials longer than 

 pregeneials. Temporals 

 2-2-2. 



Color above, including 

 ends of gastrosteges, 

 plumbeous brown ; below 

 yellow. A yellow band 

 extends from the neck to 

 varying distances on the 

 adjacent parts of the 

 third and fourth rows of 

 scales. Lateral head 

 plates I'rom the preoculars forward, with yellow centers. Superior 

 labials with brown splotches above, forming an irregular border, not 

 brown bordered below. A yellow temporal spot. 



The posterior labial plates are longer than high, but are not so 

 extended as in the Z. aurigulus. The inferior labials anterior to and 

 including the fifth are also less eloirgate, the fourth being nearly square, 

 while it is parallelogrammic in the Z. aurigulus. The muzzle, and hence 

 the loreal plates, are shorter than in that form. The spotting of the 

 inferior surface is confined to the chin, throat, and a dozen or so of 

 gastrosteges. It consists of scattered brown spots which are nearly 

 symmetrical on opposite sides, and which fall into two more or less 

 irregular rows, each a short distance within the extremities of the 

 gastrosteges. 



The seventeen rows of scales, together with the coloration, distinguish 

 this form from the Z. Hchottii and the Z. Ucniatus. Young specimens of 

 the latter, however, resemble it closely, since the ^spaces between the 

 dark lines of the first, second, and third rows are apt to be solidly dark- 

 colored at that age. They may be distinguished, apart from the smaller 



Fig. 177. 



Zamknis lateralis lateralis Hallowell. 



= 1. 



Fresno, California. 



Cat. No. ime, U.S.N.M. 



