984 



REPORT OF NA.TIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



The only known specimen of this subspecies was found at Key 

 West, Florida, and is preserved in the Museum of Comparative Zool- 

 ogy, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 



NATRIX VALIUA Kennicott. 



Begina vaUda Kennicott, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila., 1860, p. 334. 

 Tropidonotns validus Boulenger, Cat. Suakes Brit. Mue., I, 1893, p. 237. 



Scales in twenty-one rows, the inferior smooth. Head distinct from 

 body, elongate and tapering to the muzzle. Internasals longer than 

 wide; rostral elevated. Oculars 2-3 and 1-3 ; temporals 1-2. Superior 

 labials eight, eye over fourth and fifth. Tail not compressed at base; 

 gray or brown, with more or less distinct small spots on the sides. 

 Belly not spotted. 



There are two subspecies of the Natrix valida, as follows : 



Spots small, uo bauds; belly pale N. v. valida. 



Lateral spots large ; a vertebral dark and lateral light band ; belly dark ; 



N. V. celceno. 

 NATRIX VALIDA VALIDA Kennicott. 



Begina valida Kennicott, Proc, Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila., 1860, p. 334. 

 Trojiidonotus validus Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila., 1866, p. 310; Check-list 



N. Amer. Batr. Rept., 1875, p. 42; U. S. Geog. Surv. AY. 100th Mer., 1875, 



p. 612, pi. XXI. 

 Trop-'donotiis tephropleura Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila., 1860, p. 341. 



Fig. 258. 

 Natrix valida valida Kennicott. 



Eabeh Valley, Utah. 



Cat. No. 4650, U.S.N.M. 



Body stout; head large, short but high; broad posteriorly. Snout 

 elongated, narrow, and pointed. Eostral as high as broad, subpentag- 

 onal, the apex pointed. Frontal very narrow, obtusely pointed pos- 

 teriorly; parietals small. Nineteen (sometimes twenty-one) rows of 

 scales, all carinated except the exterior. Light brownish ash above, 

 with faint black markings upon the bases of the scales of the 

 first, fourth, and eighth rows of scales. Abdomen entirely uniform 

 yellowish. 



The tail is rather short. The head is very large and proportionally 



