CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



873 



tracted neck, very much tapering to the end of the snout, subquadran- 

 gular from the eyes forward. Ui)i)er surface flattened; snout elevated 

 and rounded. Occipital plates triangular, as broad anteriorly as long. 

 Superciliaries longer than either the vertical or ocoipitals. Frontal 

 subpentagonal, very broad anteriorly, as broad as long, and very much 

 tapering posteriorly; its sides concave. A second small subcordiform 

 anterior frontal sometimes present; is situated between the external 

 prefrontals, which are comparatively the larger. Internal prefrontals 

 irregularly triangular, and smaller than the internasals, which are 

 irregularly quadrangular. The rostral is triangular, wide below and 

 narrow above, and raised but little above the surface of the snout, not 

 dividing, however, the prefrontals. iTasals subquadrangular, anterior 

 one a little larger; nostrils situated between the two plates, but more in 

 the posterior one. Loreal very small, narrow, and elongated, horizontal 

 in position. Two anteorbitals, inferior one very small; upper one very 



Fig. 205. 



PiTYOPHIS 8AYI BKLLONA BAIKD AND GiRARD. 



=r 1. 



regular, slightly convex on its anterior margin. Postorbitals four in 

 number, occasionally only three, the two upper ones a little larger. 

 Numerous small temporal shields. Upper labials eight (rarely nine), 

 sixth and seventh somewhat larger. Lower labials thirteen, seventh 

 largest; the six posterior ones the smallest. Dorsal scales elliptically 

 elongated, constituting twenty-nine to tlurty-three rows, the six outer 

 of which are smooth, the others carinated, the five outermost very sen- 

 sibly the larger. 



The ground color is whitish yellow; on the anterior third and upper 

 part of the body, the bases and sometimes the two anterior thirds of 

 the scales are jet black, so as to make the ground color appear black. 

 There are fifty-one large chocolate-brown viorsal blotches, margined 

 with jet black from the head to opposite the anus, and ton on the tail. 

 On the anterior portion of the bodj^ these blotches are subcircular, or 

 rather elliptical, covering in width seven or eight rows of scales, and 



