«3S REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



covering troiu tweuty-one to tweuty-three scales transversely. Their 

 length covers six scales everywhere, though as the scales are more 

 elongate anteriorly the spots are also more elongate. The lateral spots 

 of other species are represented by pale tracts continuous with the 

 light yellow of the belly, which alternate with the dorsal spots, extend- 

 ing to an apex on the fourth or fifth row. In other words the cross 

 bands of dusky ground-color bifurcate on the flanks, and terminate at 

 the extremities of the gastrosteges. Below their termini at the lateral 

 angle of the gastrosteges is a short longitudinal black bar or spot 

 crossing one or two gastrosteges. This represents the black line which 

 occupies a similar position in the C. guttatus. At the anterior and 

 posterior parts of the body the dorsal spots have short serrate anterior 

 and posterior borders. 



Four indistinct longitudinal bands traverse the length of the body 

 on the fourth and fifth and tenth and eleventh rows of scales on each 

 side. The inferior band is very obscure, especially anteriorly, and both 

 are less distinct on the true skin than on the epidermis. 



The head is of a reddish color above; below, yellowish. A faint 

 dusky band extends across the temporal region and parts of the sui)er- 

 ciliary and frontal plates, meeting a corresponding one of the opposite 

 side. This represents the space between the bands of the C. guttatus, 

 which consist in this species of ground color only. Suj)erior and pos- 

 terior margins of upper labials obscurely dusky. 



Cat. No. 14418; gastrosteges, 239 + 1 ; urosteges, ( ?) ; scales, 27; total length, 970mm. 



This beautiful species is of considerable interest from the interme- 

 diate position it occupies between the C. guttatus and the G. quadrivif- 

 tatus. The absence of keels of the scales and the dorsal color spots 

 ally it to the former, and especially to the subspecies C. g. sellatus; but 

 the absence of lateral and ventral spots and head bands and presence 

 of longitudinal stripes ally it to the latter. The width of the frontal 

 plate is also (characteristic. It is a very handsome animal. 



Coluber rosaceus Cope. 



COLUBER QUADRIVITTATUS Holbrook. 



Coluber quadrmttatus Holbrook, N. Amer. Herpt., Ill, 1842, p. 89, pi. xx. — GuN- 

 THER, Cat. Col. Snakes Brit. Miis., 1858, p. 88.— Cope, Check-list N. Amer. 

 Batr. Rept., 1875, p. 39. 



Coluber obsoletus Boulenger, part, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., II, 1894, p. 50. 



Scoiophis quadrivittatus Baird and Girard, Cat. N. Amer. Rept., 1853, p. 80 



Elaphis quadririttatus Dumeril and Bierox, Erp. Gen., VII, 1854, p. 265. 



Body slender, tail very slender, about the fifth of the total length. 

 Head elliptical, well distinguished from the body by a slender neck. 



