CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



907 



OPHIBOLUS PYRRHOMELAS Cope. 



Ophibolusjyyromela)! us Copf.jPtoc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1866, p. 305; Check-list 

 N. Amer. Eatr. Kept., 1875, p. 37 { pyrrhomelas) ; Kept. U. S. Geograpli. Snrv. 

 W. of lOQiu. Mer., V, 1875, p. 537, pi. xix.— Cope, Proc. U. S. Xat. Mus., XIV, 

 1892, p. 610. 



Bellophis ~OHa/«.s LocKiNOTON, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., 1877, p. 52. 



Scales iu tweiity-tlireelongitudiiuil rows; tail five and oiie-balf times 

 in total length. Fifty to flfty-eiglit black annuli on an ocbraceous white 

 ground on the body; each anteriorly completely, posteriorly more or 



less incompletely, split 

 by a vermilion annulus, 

 all extending with irregu- 

 larities on the belly. 



Head quite distinct 

 from body; muzzle con- 

 tracted. Frontal plate 

 broad, with prolonged 

 apex; parietals elongate, 

 emarginate behind; equal 

 in length to the frontal 

 and half the prefrontal. 

 Temporals 2-3-4 on one or 

 both sides. Postgeueials 

 half the length of the pre- 

 geneials. Dorsal scales 

 rather broad, outer series 

 not abruptly enlarged. 

 In one specimen all the 

 black annuli to the middle of the tail are divided by the red, thus leaving 

 the black as a margin to it; hence the number of these annuli is fewer. 

 They ai'e four scales wide behind the middle of the body. In another 

 specimen only four anterior rings are completely divided, those on the 

 following third of the length being divided by red on the sides; the 

 remaining annuli black, three scales wide; white annuli one and one- 

 half scales; anterior, or nuchal, red annulus widest, its anterior black 

 margin attaining parietals; an ochraceous band from gular region, not 

 quite completed across parietals. Muzzle, prefrontal plates, and labial 

 margin ochraceous; remainder of top and sides of head black. 

 Mc((fiiire)ne)ifs. — Total length, 7G2 mm.\ 



This species has a longer body than the known red-ringed species, 

 and is, indeed, most closelj^ related to the O. hoylii. It will always be 

 distinguished from the latter by the jnuch more numerous annuli 

 (twenty-eight in hoylii). 



Cat. Xos. 



Fig. 224. 



OPHIBOLUS PYRRHOMELAS COPE. 



X 1.3. 



Preacott, Arizona. 



Cat. No. 15402, U.S.N.M. 



8174. 



78J5. 



11753. 



