1092 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



III. Capitate (also calyculate). (Capitati.) 



Hemipenis undivided; colubriform Coniophanes Hallow eM. 



Hemipenis undivided ; fusiform Hydrocalamus Cope. 



LX. Spinous to apex (divided). (Spinosi.) 



Two nasal plates TacA^mems Wiegmann. 



One nasal plate Tomodon Dum6ril and Bibron. 



IV. Bands of spines extending to apex. (Calycispinosi.) 



Spines of bands minute ; subcaudal scuta ; one-rowed Scytale Wagler. 



The groups into which this subfamily is divided correspond closely 

 with those which are found in the subfamily Dromicinse. Group VI, 

 including only the genus Meterodon, is the only one of the latter 

 which is not represented in the former. Apart from penial characters, 

 the genera of the corresponding groups sometimes resemble each other, 

 but frequently they do not. Thus, Alsophis resembles Fhilodryas, and 

 Eliadincva resembles Coniophanes, and Acanthophallus resembles Tomo- 

 don, in general characters. 



This subfamily is exclusively neotropical, with the exception that 

 four species of the Central American subregion wander over the border 

 into the Toltecau subregion, one of them extending to within the political 

 boundaries of the United States at its extreme southern limit. 



MANOLEPIS Cope. 



Manolepis Cope, Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 1885, p. 76.— Boulenger, Cat. Snakes 

 Brit. Mus., Ill, 1896, p. 120. 



Maxillary teeth equal anterior to the grooved teeth, which are 

 enlarged ; anterior mandibular teeth longer than posterior. Head dis- 

 tinct from neck; pupil vertical. Scales smooth, pi tless. Nasal plate 

 entire or semidivided. Anal and subcaudals divided. 



This genus is allied to Tomodon Dumeril and Bibron, but the pupil 

 in that genus is round and the scales have apical pits. As all my 

 specimens are females, I have been unable to learn the penial charac- 

 ters. But one species of Manolepis is certainly known, but discrepan- 

 cies in the figures and descriptions of authors leave the question some- 

 what uncertain. The characters are briefly as follows: 



Scales in nineteen rows. Frontal very narrow, three to four times as long as wide; 

 light browu with a darker dorsal band M.putnamii Jan. 



MANOLEPIS PUTNAMII Jan. 



Manolepis imtnamii Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., Ill, 1896, p. 120. 

 Dromicus putnamii Jan, Elenco Sistematico, 1863, p. 67; Icon. G6n. Ophid., Pt. 



24, 1867, pi. VI, fig. 3.— Garman, N. Amer. Eept., 1883, pp. 59, 153. 

 Philodryas putnamii Gunther, Biolog. Centr. Amer., Eept., 1895, p. 166. 

 Tomodon nasutus Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, p. 160.— BocouRT, 



Miss. Sci. Mex., Eept., 1886, p. 641. 



Body cylindrical, stout; neck but little constricted; head acuminate, 

 oval; muzzle produced beyond the labial margin, oblique, truncate in 

 profile. Eostral plate flat, not turned backward above; wider than 

 high. Both internasals and prefrontals longer than wide, the latter a 



