1110 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



caudal series are keeled, aud as they are wider tliau long, the free apices 

 of the keel, projecting, give them a depressed pyramidal form. Gastros- 

 teges, 148; urosteges, 41. 



In the coloration of the body this si)ecies is an almost exact repeti- 

 tion of the Elaps fulvius. It is surrounded by wide black rings, which 

 are broadly bordered with yellow and separated by red interspaces of 

 twice their width. The scales of the red spaces have each a central 

 black spot, which is more distinct than in E. fulmuH^ on the anterior 

 part of the body, above the sides; posteriorly they are weaker. The 

 black annuli pass round the belly, but are all somewhat broken ante- 

 riorly. Between them the gast rosteges have black shades. The (colora- 

 tion of the head differs from that of the E. fulvius in having merely a 

 large black spot covering tlie parietal, superciliary, and frontal plates, 

 and extending round the eye, but not reaching the edge of the lip. 

 Muzzle and chin unspotted. 



Measurements. — Total length, 364 mm. ; length of rictus oris, 11 mm.; 

 length of tail, (>1 mm. 



Although this curious and handsome serpent so much resembles the 

 Elaps fulvius, it is not yet known that the two species inhabit the 

 same region. 



This species is near to Scolecophis atrocinetus, but the i^eculiar tuber- 

 cular carination of the tail distinguishes it. It inhabits a rocky, moun- 

 tainous region, and I have little doubt that this peculiar character 

 enables the animal to force itself into the earth or beneath stones. The 

 tail is used as a- fulcrum in pushing against rough aud resistant bodies. 



TANTILLA Baird and Girard. 



Tantilla Baird aud Girard, Cat. N. Amer. Rept., Pt. 1, Serp., 1853, p. 131. — Cope, 

 Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. (2), VIII, 1875, p. 143; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 

 32, 1887, p. 52 ; Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XIV, 1892, p. 597. 



Eomalocranium Dumeril and Bibron, Mem. Acad. Sci., XXIII, 1853, p. 490. — 

 GiJNTHER, Cat. Col. Snakes Brit. Mus., 1858, p. 18. 



Head depressed, continuous with the body. Cephalic plates normal. 

 Internasals and postfrontals two each. Posterior maxillary tooth 

 grooved. Two nasals, nostrils in the anterior plate. IS^o loreal. An- 

 terior orbital one; posterior one or two. Eyes below the medium size. 

 Body, subcylindrical; tail short. Scales smooth. Postabdominal 

 scutella bitid. Subcaudal all divided. 



Tills genus is distributed throughout the neotropical realm excepting 

 the West Indian region, Trinidad excepted. Its species are especially 

 abundant in the Central American district. Three sj)ecies are found 

 in the nearctic realm. They differ as follows: 



I. Sui>erior labials, six ; orbitals, 1-1. 



Muzzle produced; preorbital not in contact with superciliary nor nasal; three 

 longitudinal bands T. calamarina Cope. 



Muzzle less produced; preorbital in contact with superciliary and nasal; tem- 

 poral one ; three bands T. Mmaculata Cope. 



Temporals two ; no bauds T. gracilis Baird and Girard. 



1 



