CROCODILTANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



1145 



oculars, the superior longer than the iuferior and rea(;hini; the ])<)st 

 uasal, which is but little smaller than preuasal. Loreal rhomboid with 

 two scales below it. 



Frontal plate subpentagonal, gradually tapering posteriorly. Twenty- 

 three rows of dorsal scales; tirst aud second lateral row smooth. Lat- 

 eral rows of blotches proportionally very small. 



The ground color is yellowish brown, with three lateral series of deep 

 chestnut-brown blotches. Two elongated brown blotches extend from 

 the superciliaries backward. A narrow band of cliestnut brown from 

 the posterior frontal plates passes over the eyes to the neck, under 

 which a yellowish stripe extends from the nostril to the angle of the 

 mouth. The snout and upper jaw are brown, with two yellow tillets 

 diverging from the pit. The lower jaw and chin are mottled with 



Fig. 328. 



S1STR0UUS CATENATUS EDWAKDSII liAIRD and GiRARn. 

 = 1. 



Wichita, Texas. 



Collection of E. U. Cope. 



brown and yellow. There are about forty-two dorsal brown and Irregu- 

 lar blotches margined with deep black and encircled with a yellow tillet 

 from the head to the tii) of the tail— the thirty- fourth opposite the 

 anus— the last three passing to the sides of the tail but do not meet 

 below. Subcircular on the posterior half of the body, the blotches on 

 the anterior half are longer transversly than longitudinally; emargi- 

 nated anteriorly only. 



The blotches of the two lateral series are proportionally small. The 

 blotches of the upper series are more or less ol)solete and alternate with 

 the dorsal ones. Those of the second lateral series are the smallest 

 and alternate also, being of as deep a color as the dorsal ones, but do 

 not extend beyond the anus, occupying the second, third, and fourth 

 rows of scales. The first and lower series affect the first and second 

 rows, and only one scale. The belly is of a light straw color dotted 

 and sprinkled irregularly with brown. 



Cat Nos Scales. Upper labials. Gastrosteges. T'roslcgos. Length. Tail. 



mm. min. 



509 23. 11. 141. 28. 



5177 23. 11-12. 136. 29. 



1 L'3. 11. 147. 31. 635. 91. 



' From the collectiou of E. U. Cope, iroiu the Wichita Kiverp northern Texas. 



