212 COLUBRID.T,. 



90. RHINOCHILUS. 



Rhinocheilus, Baird S^- Oir. Cat. N. Am. Rept. p. 120 (1853) ; Cope, 

 Proc. Ac. Philnd. 1860, p. 244 ; Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 

 1863, p. 217 ; Bocourt, Miss. Sc. Mex., Bept. p. 602 (1886) ; Cope, 

 Proc. U.S. Nat. 3Ius. xiv. 1892, p. 605. 



Maxillary teeth 16 to 19, the two posterior largest; anterior 

 mandibular teeth a little larger than the posterior. Head not dis- 

 tinct from neck, with pointed, strongly projecting snout; eye 

 moderate, pupil round ; rostral large. Body much elongate, cj'lin- 

 drical ; scales smooth, with apical pits*, in 17 to 23 rows. Tail 

 moderate ; subcaudals entire, or only the posterior divided. 



North America, Mexico, Venezuela. 



Synojiisis of the Sj^ecies. 



Scales in 2.3 rows 1. lecontii, p. 212. 



Scales in 19 rows 2. thominoti, p. 213. 



Scales in 17 rows 3. antonil, p. 213. 



1. Rhinochilus lecontii. 



Rhinoclieilus lecontei, Baird ^- Gir. Cat. p. 120 (1853), and Bep. 

 U.S. Explor. R. R. x. pt. iii. pi. xxxiii. fig. 90 (1859), and U.S. 

 Mex. Bound. Stirv. ii. Bept. pi. xx. (1859) ; Jan, Arch. Zool. Anat. 

 Phys. ii. 1863, p. 217 ; Cope, Proc. Ac. Bhilad. 1866, p. .304 ; Jan, 

 Icon. Gen. 48, pi. iii. fig. 1 (1876); Garni. N. Am. Rept. p. 73 

 (1883) ; Bocourt, Miss. Sn. Mex., Rept. p. 602, pi. xl. fig. 7 (1886) ; 

 Cope, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xiv. 1892, p. 606; Giinth. Biol. C.- 

 Am., Rept. p. 100 (1893). 



Rostral as deep as broad, the portion visible from above at least 

 half as long as its distance from the frontal ; suture between the 

 internasals as long as or a little longer than that between the 

 praefrontals t ; frontal a little longer than its distance from the end 

 of the snout or than the parietals, twice as broad as the supraocular ; 

 loreal longer than deep ; one or two prte- and two or three post- 

 oculars ; temporals 2-f-2 or 2-|-3 ; eight upper labials, fourth and 

 fifth entering the eye ; three or four lower labials in contact with 

 the anterior chin-shields ; posterior chin-shields small, and separated 

 from each other by two or three series of scales. Scales in 23 rows. 

 Ventrals 191-206; anal entire; subcaudals 40-55. Black above, 

 with brick-red square spots or cross bands ; head and sides black 

 and yellow ; lower parts yellowish white, with black spots, at least 

 on the sides. 



Total length 940 millim. ; tail 140. 



California to Texas. 



a, b, c. S (V. 191, 205 ; Duval Co., Texas. W. Taylor, Esq. [C.]. 



C. 49, 50, 6 or 11 last 

 divided) & hgr. (V. 201 ; 

 C. 42, 8 last divided). 



* Stated to be absent in R. thominoti and antonii. 



t In spec, c the praef'rontals are separated by the internasals, which are in 

 contact with the point of the frontal. 



