696 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1902. 



darker band of six scale-rows is thus set off, a series of elongated 

 dusk}" spots on the seventh row, three scales apart, forming- the limit 

 as a line of dashes; head above with numerous dusky spots, and a 

 longitudinal lino on the mkldle of the frontal and the parietal suture 

 which, in combination with a spot on the posterior half of each supra- 

 ocular, form a tieur-de-lis-shaped lig-ure, the 

 median line continuing- some distance down 

 the back; a dusky, black-edged band on the 

 side of the head from rostral through nos- 

 tril and eye over temporals and connected 

 with tlie continuous dark lateral line on 



lf)2 I 163 



Figs. 162-163. — Lei ma do purs 

 STAHLi. 2 X natural size. 162, 

 top of head; 163, underside of 

 head. No. 26S83, U.S.N.M. 



fourth and tifth scale-rows; labials 



whitish with a dusk}' spot on the 



middle of each, tuid a dusky 



oblique band from the eye to the 



commissure crossing- the suture 



between fourth and tifth supralabials; underside whitish, dusted over 



with minute dusky specks, which show a tendency to congregate near 



the ends of the ventrals so as to form a line of ill-defined spots on 



each side of the abdomen. 



Fig. 164.— Leimadophis STAHLI. 2 X natural size. 

 Color pattern around middle of body. 



No. 26883, U.S.N.M. 



DimcnsioJis. 



Tip of snout to tip of tail , 392 



Vent to tip of tail 125 



Vaination. — Only one of the specimens examined shows any marked 

 variation, namely, No. 20883, in which the posterior nasal is fused with 

 the loreal. The number of ventrals (in 10 specimens) vary between 



151 and 159, the subcaudals between 83 

 and 97 pairs. The coloration is also fairly 

 constant. In No. 25529, the largest speci- 

 men at hand (550 mm.), the spots on the 

 median dorsal row are forming an almost 

 continuous line; the underside is also less 

 dusted over, the blackish specks being more concentrated in the lateral 

 abdominal line, which is rather broad and continuous, and toward the 

 middle line, Avhere they form two lines of ill-defined spots. In No. 

 26883 (fig. lt;i) the median dorsal line of spots is but slightly indicated. 



Fig. 165.— Leimadophls stahli. 1 

 natural size. No. 26883, U.S.N.M 



