964 



REPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



Fifth excluded from the orbit by the inferior postoculars; sixth and 

 seventh much larger than any of the others. Inferior labials eleven, 

 fifth and sixth largest; postgeneials a little longer than pregeneials. 



Ground color, above brown; below yellow. Above, three rows of 

 transverse black spots, one on each side and one crossing the middle 

 line, alternating with the laterals. The adjacent angles of the spots 

 of the middle and lateral series are connected by oblique black bars, 

 which thus inclose with the dorsal spots a series of transverse diamond- 

 shaped or hexagonal spaces of the ground color on the middle region 

 of the back. The lateral interspaces are partly closed below by two 

 semicircular spots of brown on the two gastrosteges below them; aud 

 the two gastrosteges below the lateral spots also have brown spots of 

 a triangular form in continuation of them. The semicircular ventral 



Fig. 249. 



NATRIX RHOMBIFEKA HALLOWELL. 

 — 1. 



Dallas, Texas. 



Collection of E. D. Cope. 



spots are nearer the middle line than the triangular. The middle line 

 is unspotted or has but feeble traces of spots. I counted thirty-five dorsal 

 and as many lateral spots on a specimen from New Orleans (Cat. 'No. 

 13354). 



The head is a uniform brown above; aud on the nape is an obscure 

 chevron-shaped black mark, with an obtuse angle forward. The superior 

 labials have black posterior borders and are tinged with yellow medially. 

 The inferior labials are similar, but more distinctly yellow. Scales of 

 gular region uniform yellow. 



Cat. Nos. Gastrosteges. ITrosteges. Scales. Length. Tail. 



min. mm. 



1117 144 + 1. 69. 27. 



1635 149-fl. 69. 27. 



10646 148 + 1. 70.. 27. 930. 218. 



14014 141 + 1. 78. 27. 



14657 150 + 1. 65. 27. 906. 211. 



