912 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



about as liigh as the labial below it; center of the eye a little anterior 

 to the middle of the commissure, over the junction of the third and 

 fourth labials. One anteorbital, vertically quadrate; loreal half its 

 height, square. Upper labials seven, increasing to the penultimate. 

 Lower labials nine; fourth and fifth largest. 



Scales nearly as high as long, hexagonal, truncated at each end. 

 Dorsal rows twenty one, exterior rather larger, and diminishing almost 

 imperceptibly to the back, although all the scales in a single oblique 

 row are of very nearly the same shape and size. 



The scales on the back and sides are lustrous black, each one with a 

 central elliptical or subcircular spot of ivory white, which on the sides 

 occupy nearly the whole of the scale, but are smaller toward the back, 



Fig. 226, 



Ofhibolus oktulus sayi Holbrook. 



= 1- 



Shawnee Mission, Kansas. 



Cat. No. 31ii, U.S.N.M. 



where they involve one-half to one-third of the length. Beneath yel- 

 lowish white, with broad distinct blotches of black, more numerous 

 posteriorly. Skin between the scales brown. The plates on the top 

 and sides of the head have each a yellowish blotch ; the labials are yel- 

 low, with black at their junction. 



Other specimens agree except in having bright yellow instead of 

 white as described; the spots, too, are rather smaller, and manifest a 

 slight tendency to aggregation on adjacent scales, so as to form trans- 

 verse bands. This is seen more decidedly where the back is crossed 

 by about seventy short dotted yellow lines ; the fifty-sixth opposite the 

 anus. The scales between have very obsolete spots of lighter, scarcely 

 discernible. The sides are yellow, with black spots corresponding to 



