998 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



oculars; of the latter, the inferior is the smaller. Postoculars three; 

 in contact with one broad temi)oral, which separates two labials from 

 the occipital. Superior labials seven, or six from confluence of two, 

 sometimes of the third and fourth, which bound the orbit. Inferior 

 labials seven, fourth largest; postgeneial equal pregeneial, separated 

 by scales. Frontal shield longer than broad, outlines straight, poste- 

 rior angle less than right; occipitals nearly as long as from their border 

 to rostrals, emarginate behind. Gastrosteges 120-135; anal 1-1 ; uros- 

 teges 37-51. Color olive-brown (one specimen light brown), with 

 dense, minute punctuations above and below, and about fifty-four light- 

 edged black crossbars extending over six rows of scales, alternating 

 with shorter ones on the sides; both are broken into spots on the neck, 

 where there is a large postoccipital blotch on each side. 



Measurements. — Total length, 230 ram. ; length of tail, 66 mm. ; length 

 to rictus oris, 10 ram. 



This species has a strong resemblance to the species of Storeria, and 

 is placed in that genus by Boulenger, on account of the equality in the 

 length of the teeth. It is found in the southern part of the plateau, 

 and, according to Boulenger, in the highlands of Jalisco. 



Natrix storerioides Cope. 



SEMINATRIX Cope. 

 Seminatrix Cope, American Naturalist, 1895, p. 678. 



' Hemipenis undivided and with simple sulcus spermaticus ; no papillte. 

 Tnternasals and prefrontals separate. Anal divided. Scales smooth, 

 without pits. 



This genus includes true Natricimie with simple penis, divided anal 

 plate, and smooth pitless scales. In one or the other of these characters 

 it differs from all the genera of Natricinie. It will be necessary to dis- 

 cover whether some of the smooth-scaled snakes of other countries 

 referred by Boulenger to Tropidonottis, do not belong to Seminatrix. 



But one species is known from the Medicolumbian fauna, which is 

 thus characterized : 



Scales in seventeen series ; superior labials, eight; body compressed posteriorly; black 

 above, red below ; small S. pygcea Cope. 



SEMINATRIX PYGJEA Cope. 



• Seminatrix pyt/wa Cope, American Naturalist, 1895, p. 678. 

 Contia pygwa C0P15, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1871, p. 222. 

 Tropidonotus pygauis Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mns., I, 1893, p. 228. 



The form of this species is stout and subcylindric, the tail entering 

 the total length 4.33 times. The head is stout, oval, the profile a little 



