CROCOniTJANS, LIZARDS, AM) SNAKES. 



1031 



Fi-. 281. 



Ect.?:nia liUTLEKii Cope. 



= 1. 



Cedar Oeek, WaterlDo, f ndiaiia. 



Cat. No. 'JKjiis, r.s.N.M. 



EUTiENIA BUTLERII Cope. 



Eutania hntlerii Copk, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns., XI, 1«88, p. 399. 



Tropidoiiotiis oriUnatuis var. bittlerii Boulengeu, Cat. Snakes Biit. Mils., I, p. 212. 



Scales in uiueteeti lougitudinal rows, the inferior much the widest and 

 keeled. Superior labials seven, inferior labials ei<iht. Temi)orals, 1-1; 

 the second large, extending from parietal to labials. Oculars, 1-3. 

 Parietals with the external border abruptly contracted. Gastrosteges, 

 one hundred and forty-four; anal, one; urosteges, sixty-two. Head 

 very little distinct, muzzle conical, a little protuberant; eye uot large. 

 Ground color above, olive brown, which is marked by the usual three 

 longitudinal yellowish 

 bands. The median 

 covers one and two half 

 rows of scales, and the 

 lateral covers the sec- 

 ond, third, and fourth 

 rows. Both are black 

 bordered on both edges, 

 the border of the latter 

 band interrupted. The 

 segments of the supe- 

 rior border of the lateral 

 band represent the in- 

 ferior spots of the lateral series; the superior row is wanting from the 

 scales. Gastrosteges and urosteges olive, yellowish in front, dark 

 behind, with a vertical black spot at the anterior border of each end of 

 each of the gastrosteges. Labial scuta without black borders; head 

 olive above, without markings, except two small, yellow, black-edged 

 parietal spots in the usual position. 



I have seen but two vspecimens of this species, one of which belongs 

 to the collection of Purdue University, at Lafayette, Indiana (Cat. No, 

 264), and which is labeled as from Kichmond, Indiana. It is remark- 

 ably distinct from everything which occurs in the United States, and has 

 only superticial resemblances to the JJ. macrostemma Kennicott of Mex- 

 ico. Its peculiar characters are the great width of the lateral color band, 

 which covers three rows of scales, one more than in any other species; 

 the black borders of the bauds; the abseuce of well-detined dorsal 

 lateral spots, and the absence of markings on the head and labial 

 scuta. Besides these color marks, the presence of a large second tem- 

 l)oral plate extending to the labials is peculiar to this species, and the 

 small number of inferior labials distinguishes it from the J'J. sirtaJis 

 group; and the narrow conical head is characteristic. In the U. 

 macrostemma the general appearance is somewhat similar, but the labial 

 plates are broadly black edged, and the lateral band covers but two 

 rows of scales ; there is a large postoral yellow dark-edged crescent, 

 and the second temporal i)lare is smaller and does not reach the labials. 



