CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 937 



CHIONACTIS EPISCOPUS Kennicott. 



Contia epi8>:opi( Coi'K, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pliila., 1860, p. 251; Check-list X. 

 Amer. Batr. Kept., 187.5, p. 3(5; Pnill. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 20, 1880, p. 20.— Gar- 

 man, N. Amcr. Kept., 1883, p. 91, pi. vi, fig. 2.— Coi'K, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 XIV, 1802, p. BOO.— Boui.ENGKU, Cat. Suakes Brit. Miis., II, 1894, p. 26."). 



Lamprosoma episcopum Kknnicott, U. S. Mex. Bound. Snrv., II, 1859, p. 22, pi. 

 VIII, fig. 2. 



Homalosoma episoopum .Ian, Arch. Zool. Anat. Pliys., II, 1^62, ]>. 35; Icon. Gcu. 

 Ophld., 1865, Pt. 1.3, pi. iv, tig. 2. 



Scales in fifteen rows, all sinootli; superior labials, seven; the orbit 

 bounded by the third and more largely by the fourth; loreal, small, 

 quadrangular, longer than high; oculars, 1-2 anterior short, covered 

 above by superciliary; i:)osto('ulars resting on fourth labial; fifth and 

 sixth labials equal, as high as long; parietals, large, long; frontal, 

 longer than wide; ])refrontals, transverse. Internasals partly separ- 

 ated by rostral, which is not very prominent. Inferior labials, six; 

 first pair meeting; fourth largest. Postgeneials extremely short. Tem- 

 porals little larger than body scales, 1-2. Muzzle obtuse; head scarcely 

 distinct; eye small. Gastrosteges, one hundred and sixty-three; anal 

 1-1 ; urosteges varying in Texan specimens from thirty- five to forty- 

 five. 



There are three well-marked color varieties, which pass into each 

 other. They are as follows: 



Ground color asheu to rosy, with the scales broadly tipped with brown. A few 

 only of the median rows of dorsal scales may be red, and the top of the head 

 may or may not be brown C.e. episcopus. 



Ground color light yellow tinged with brown above; three median dorsal rows 

 orange. Top of head, from anterior border of frontal to near end of occipitals, 

 black. A transverse black spot beginning on the fourth scale behind the occipi- 

 tals, two scales long and including the fourth row of scales from the gastrosteges 

 on each side G.e. torqnatus. 



Ground color is ashy or red. The back is traversed by from nineteen to twenty-one 

 black cross-bands of thrc^e .and a half scales in length; there are six on the tail. 

 Belly uniform C.e. iso:on us. 



These subspecies pass into each other by distinct gradations, although 

 the intermediate forms are less abundant than the types. 



This is a characteristic species of western Texas. It is common west 

 of Fort Worth to Fort Concho and about Helotes in the south. It 

 exhibits a great range of color variation, since it is evident that the C. 

 isozoniis must be reckoned as one of its varieties. Thus its range 

 extends to Utah ami Arizona. 



