1192 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



is, as usual, small and elougated over the pit, but the upper, very small 

 and quadrangular, is separated from the nasal by two plates, each 

 larger than itself. In all the other species the upper preorbital is large, 

 more or less elongated, and in contact with the postnasal or only 

 separated from it by the width of one smaller plate. The suborbital 

 chain is complete, and there is only a single row of scales between that 

 and the labials. The color of the head is uniform yellowish or light 

 brownish ash without any distinct spots or stripes, though each x)late 

 is minutely mottled with brownish and with a few scattering black 

 dots, and there is a very faint indication of the usual posterior facial 

 stripe extending over the angle of the mouth. 



It will be at once distinguished from C. tigris by the single nasal, 

 number of loreals, number and comparative size of labials, and number 

 of rows between the suborbitals and labials, and by the narrow, pointed 

 nose instead of the broad, blunt snout of C. tigris. It disagrees also 

 with C. c. lucifer in all of the above characters excepting the size of 

 labials and the narrow nose, and differs widely from that species in the 

 depressed snout, wide rostral, and perfectly smooth plates and scales 

 on the head. By the smoothness and size of the plates and absence of 

 the horn it will be at once distinguished from C. cerastes. It will be 

 impossible to confound it with any of the Eastern siiecies. 



The color above is a greenish gray, which is crossed by nineteen jet- 

 black rings on the body, which do not extend on the abdomen. These 

 rings are two and a half scales wide on the middle line and narrow 

 downward on each side, so as to cover but one scale in width. The 

 scales which border the annul! are half black and half green, the effect 

 of which is to give the edge of the ring a turreted outline. The edges 

 of the ground color are paler than any other part of the scales, thus 

 throwing the black into greater relief. A large black spot, shaped like 

 two hearts side by side, with the apices i)osterior, marks the nape, and 

 there is an irregular small black spot on each side of the occiput 5 some 

 black specks between the orbits; no other marks on the head. Near 

 the middle of the gray spaces of the body some of the scales of many 

 of the rows have black tips. The tail is light brown above and has a 

 basal broad black and two other narrow brown annuli. Below dirty 

 white, with closely placed shades of brown. 



The following specimon is in the lunseum of tbo University of Kansas, and is from 

 the Magdaleua Mountains, New Mexico. It furnishes the following data: Rows of 

 scales, 23; upper labials, 12; gastrosteges, 153 ; urosteges, 27; total length, 555 mm. ; 

 rattle, 74 mm. 



In the typical specimens the nasal plates are not divided. In three 

 specimens since received the plates are separated from the nostril 

 downward. In two si)ecimens the cross-bands are uninterrupted. On 

 ^wo others (from Fort Huachuca, Arizona) the bands are broken at 

 the ends on the sides, along the middle of the length, giving rise to a 

 row of lateral spots. In both the tail is salmon color, with two dark 

 cross bands. 



