89. HYPSIGLENA. 2l l9 



snbequal. Head distinct from neck ; eye rather small, with verti- 

 cally elliptic pupil. Body cylindrical : scales smooth, with apical 

 pits, in 19 or 21 rows ; ventrals rounded. Tail moderate ; sub- 

 caudals in two rows. 



Southern parts of Xorth America, Central America, Venezuela. 



S)/nopsis of the Species. 



I. Subcaudals 39-55. 



A. Scales in 21 rows ; usually a subocular below the praeocular. 

 Rostral once and a half as broad as 



deep, the portion visible from above 

 nearly half as long as its distance 



from the frontal 1. ochvorliynchus, p. 209. 



Rostral nearlj- twice as broad as deep, 

 the portion visible from above one 

 fourth to one third its distance from 

 the frontal 2. torquata, p. 210. 



B. Scales in 19 rows ; no subocular . . 3. q^m's, p. 210. 



II. Subcaudals 80-93. 



Scales in 19 rows 4. discolor, p. 211, 



Scales in 21 rows ; body cylindrical .. 5. hitifasciata, -p. 2]], 

 Scales in 21 rows ; body feebly com- 

 pressed 6. ornata, p. 21 1. 



1. Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus. 



Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha. Cope, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1860, p. 246 ; 



Garm. N. Am. Rept. p. 80 (1883); Cope, Proc. U.S. Nat. Miis. 



xiv. 1892, p. 617 ; Stejneger, N. Am. Faun. no. 7, pt. ii. p. 204 



(1893). 



chlorophsea. Cope, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1860, p. 246 ; Stejneger, I. c. 



texana, Stejyieger, I. c. p. 205. 



torquata, var., Gilntk. Biol. C.-Am., Rejit. p. 137 (1894). 



Snout conical, prominent. Rostral once and a half as broad as 

 deep, the portion visible from above nearly half as long as its dis- 

 tance from the frontal ; internasals shorter than the prefrontals ; 

 frontal once and one third to once and a half as long as broad, as 

 long as or a little longer than its distance from the end of the snout, 

 much shorter than the parictals ; loreal longer than deep; one 

 praeocular, usually with a subocular below it ; two postoculars ; 

 temporals 1 J-2; eight upper labials, fourth and fifth entering the 

 eye : four or five lower labials in contact with the anterior chin- 

 shields, which are as long as or a little shorter than the posterior. 

 Scales in 21 rows. Ventrals 167-175; anal divided; subcaudals 

 41-.55. Grey or pale buff above, with a dorsal scries of large 

 transverse dark brown or blackish spots and two alternating series 

 of smaller spots on each side ; three elongate dark blotches on the 

 nape, the lateral ones produced forwards as a lateral streak, which 

 passes through the eye and is white-edged beneath ; upper surface 



VOL. II. p 



