950 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



in thirteen rows, liexagonal on the flanks, a little elongated on the back. 

 Gastrosteges, one liundred and seventeen ; one divided anal ; urosteges, 

 twenty-two. 



Measurements. — Total length of the largest specimen, 272 mm. ; the 

 tail, 35 mm. 



Color inferiorly and upon the first and second rows of dorsal scales 

 pale straw color. Superiorly, brownish straw color, each scale with a 

 deep brown dot near its posterior extremity. Top of the head grayish, 

 minutely punctulated with darker. 



Cat. No. 4674 ; iipjier labials, 7 ; gastrosteges, 117 + 1 ; tirosteges, 22 ; rows of scales, 

 13 ; total length, 272 mm. ; tail, 35 mm. 



Chilomeniscus straminevs Cope. 



The habitat of this species is the region about Gape St. Lucas, 

 Lower California. 



CHILOMENISCUS EPHIPPICUS Cope. 



Chilomeniscus epliippicus Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1875, p. 85. — Cope, 

 Check-list N. Amer. Batr. Rept., 1875, p. 35. — CouES, Wheeler's Rep. Expl. 

 Surv. W. 100th Mer., V, 1875, p. 625, pi. xviii, fig. 3.— Boulenger, Cat. 

 Snakes Brit. Mus., II, 1894, p. 273. 



Scales broad, in thirteen rows; tail about one-seventh total length. 

 Eostral plate large, entirely separating internasals, not encroaching 



on prefrontals; nasal plate sepa- 

 rating prefrontals and labials, in 

 contact with preocular. Super- 

 ciliaries very narrow; occipitals 

 broad as long. Temporals 1-1, 

 large; labials above, seven, third 

 and fourth in orbit; these with 

 second, narrow, erect; first longi- 

 tudinal; fifth and sixth smaller 

 than the others; seventh sud- 

 denly larger. Inferior labials 

 eight; first pair in contact before pregeneials; postgeneials very small. 

 Measurements. — Total length, 137 mm. Gastrosteges, 113, separated 

 from geneials by four rows of gulars ; anal 1-1 ; urosteges, 28-28. Above 

 reddish or yellowish, with twenty-one black crossbars to vent, which 

 are broader than interspaces, and do not quite reach gastrosteges; five 

 nearly complete rings on tail. Belly white. From occipitals to anterior 



Fig. 243. 



Chilomeniscus ephippicus Cope. 



X 1.3. 



Arizona Valley, California. 



Cat. No. 8S97, U.S.N. M. 



