CROTALOPHORUS. 13 



Resembles C. miliavius in its general appearance, but without the 

 vertebral brownish red line. The ground color is olivaceous brown, 

 the blotches of a deeper brown, encircled with a black fillet margined 

 with a whitish yellow line. There are about fifty blotches in the 

 dorsal series emarginated anteriorly only, thirty of which are trans- 

 versely elongated, very irregular ; the twenty remaining ones nearly 

 circular, with regular outlines. The blotches of the lateral rows are 

 comparatively small and of nearly equal size, though sometimes one of 

 either row may appear much the largest. The blotches of the first 

 lateral series are opposite to those of the dorsal and affect the 1st, 

 2d, and 3d rows of scales and the extremities of the abdominal scu- 

 tellaj. The blotches of the second series alternate with these, extend- 

 ing on the od, 4th, and 5th rows of scales. The blotches of the third 

 series are obsolete and alternate with those of the second series, and are 

 generally opposite to those of the dorsal series situated in the 5th, 

 6th, and 7th rows. The upper surface of the head is brown ; there 

 are two vittae extending from the vertex along the neck to the first 

 dorsal blotch. A broader and deep chestnut-brown band extends from 

 the eye to the neck. The frontal region is deeper brown than the 

 vertex. A yellowish white line starts from the nostrils near the upper 

 surface of the head, extending backward in passing between the eye 

 and the pit to the angle of the mouth. A vertical whitish bar extends 

 from each side of the pit to the labial. The belly is yellowish white 

 marbled with black transversely oblong patches. The vertical plate 

 is cordiform ; the anterior frontal plates proportionally small ; the 

 occipital rather broad. The scales of the body are elongated, a 

 little smaller than in C. miliarius, but not quite so acute posteriorly. 

 The two lateral and smooth rows are much broader than the rest 

 and conspicuous : most of the scales of these two rows are black, with 

 the posterior edge straw colored, giving the appearance of a succession 

 of distinct crescents. The tail is conical and tapering ; the rattle 

 composed of one ring besides the terminal one. 

 Indianola. 147. 33. 25. 18i 2i Col. J. D. Graham 



