NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 



131 



postnasal longer. Vertical (frontal) angulated in 

 front, more acutely behind, where it has two su- 

 tures on each side, owing to its confluence with 

 the superciliaries — the exterior being the posterior 

 sutures of the latter. Parietals much longer than 

 wide, only margining anteriorly the whole of the 

 narrow single postorbital. Labials six, all higher 

 than long except the sixth, which only is separated 

 from the parietals by a single temporal. Second superior labial in contact 

 with postnasal and more with boreal; third and fourth with orbit and post- 

 ocular. Inferior labials seven, five in contact with genials. Scales in contact 

 with parietal, 1 temporal, 4j squamae. Gastrosteges 144, urosteges 30; in 

 a second specimen 140 — 41. Length of largest specimen 12 inches ; tail 2 in. 

 1-5 lines. 



Color of upper surfaces a rich slate brown, very iridescent ; lower surfaces, 

 including first series of scales with labial and rostral shield, red orange. 



Three specimens of this species were brought by Dr. Van Patten from the 

 elevated country in the neighborhood of the city of Guatemala. It bears con- 

 siderable resemblance to the Catostoma chalybaeum Wagler, but besides 

 the lack of superciliary shields, its eye is smaller and the head more com- 

 pressed. In the C. chalybaeum there are but six inferior labials, of 

 which four margin the genials ; it has also shorter nasals, and a vertical 

 more truncate anteriorly. 



CATOSTOMA Wagler. 



Catostoma nasale Cope, sp. nov. 



This species has, like that preceding and that 

 following, seventeen rows of scales, of which those 

 on the posterior part of the body and tail are 

 weakly keeled, thus differing from the C. ch aly- 

 b ae u m where theyare smooth. It also differs much 

 from the same in the elongated form of the head 

 and the great disparity in size between the pre- 

 and postfrontal shields. In this species the former 

 are less than one-fourth the latter in longitudinal 

 extent, and about half in the transverse. The su- 

 praorbitals are very small and subtriangular, the 

 vertical broader than long, and what is unusual, 

 as much angulated anteriorly as posteriorly. Pa- 

 rietals longer than broad, the anterior margin 

 touching the postocular and superciliary. Supe- 

 rior labials eight, the last only separated from pa- 

 rietals by a temporal, which is large in two, small 

 in one specimen. First labial very small, third 

 longer than high. Inferior labials seven, four in 

 contact with genials. Seventeen rows of scales, 



which are small and more crowded above the vent than in any other species. 



Gastrosteges in three specimens 131 — 3 — 4 ; urosteges in the same 25, 30. 

 Color above, including labial region and chin, iridescent slate brown ; 



belly and gular region pale yellow. Length of largest specimen 11 in. 1-5 



lines ; tail 2 in. 



This species is probably nearly allied to the C. s i eb ol d i i of Jan, of 



which but few peculiarities are described. Jan's account of the scutellation 



indicates a more elongate species no doubt distinct; the scuta vary from g. 



146—154, u. 34—8. 



Several specimens from near the city of Guatemala, presented to the 



Smithsonian Institution by Dr. Van Patten. Mus. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. 



1868.] 



