108S 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 189S. 



rior angles toucbing the superior preoculars. Superciliary plates con- 

 vex, subtriaugular, and nearly acute in front. Parietals elongate, 

 posteriorly acute, and much divaricate. Muzzle (juite narrow, eyes 

 directed laterally. 



Color above ash gray, with six or seven longitudinal series of brown 

 spots. Those of the median two or three rows are sometimes united, 

 forming short crossbars. Those of the inferior series are on the first 

 row of scales and are blacker than the others. Below creamy ashen, 

 with irregular bla(;k blotches on the anterior part of each scutum. Tail 

 nearly uniform ash above and below, excepting a blackish line along 

 the Junction of the scutellte. Throat yellow; inferior labials yellow 

 with blackish posterior borders; superior labials less bright yellow 

 with brown posterior and superior borders. Top of head brown, with 

 darker brown markings as follows: A dark shade in the middle of each 



parietal; a narrow X open- 

 ing forward on the frontal ; 

 a longitudinal line on each 

 suj^erciliary, and a trans- 

 verse waved line across 

 each prefrontal. 



The above description is 

 taken from the typical 

 specimen which I caught 

 in the San Francisco Kiver, 

 which is one of the head 

 tributaries of the Gila, in 

 south wes;ern New Mexico. 

 Subsequently the I^ational 

 Museum received numer- 

 ous specimens from near 

 the city of Chihuahua, 

 Mexico, Avhere it is evi- 

 dently abundant. The specimens display a remarkable variability in 

 coloration, and also prove that the azygous plate which exists between 

 the prenasal plates of the typical specimen, is an abnormality. In one 

 of the Chihuahua specimens there is an azygous plate between the 

 internasals, which is of shorter form than in the type; while in another 

 there is an azygous plate between the prefrontals. In all of the others 

 azygous i^lates are wanting. The ocular plates ai'e normally 3-3, but 

 tlie following variations occur: 2-3 — 2-3, one; 2-3 — 3-3, one; 2-2 — 3-3, 

 one. The loreal is normally quite elongate; in one specimen it is short- 

 ened. The color varies from uniform brown above, to spotted in two 

 styles. In one of these there are seven rows of brown spots with paler 

 or rufous centers; in the other the brown borders of the spots have 

 disappeared, and the rusty centers are represented by small rusty 

 orange spots. The under surfaces are yellow, the gastrosteges with 



Fig. 311. 



KUT.-EXIA MULTIMACULATA Col'E. 

 = 1. 



Chibualnia, Mexico. 



Cat. Nu. UiTl, U.S.N.M. 



