Aiuphibians aud Reptiles of Mexico. 325 



ventral surface of the tail and posterior part of the body becomes 

 paler (dark slate, 424) anteriorly. At the end of the anterior third 

 of the length the yellow (216) is discernable but only becomes 

 dominant on the anterior fourth or fiftli of the length, confining 

 the dark color to the ends and niargins of the scutes. In the darker 

 examples dark slate (424) remains the dominant color anteriorly. 

 and the yellow is confined to the base of the scutes. It is a short 

 Step from this coloration to that of North American individuals in 

 whicli the black of the ventral surface extends to the throat. 



The scutellation and proportions of the four individuals obtained 

 is given in the foUowing table. 



We found this snake quite generally distributed in the region. 

 It was observed in the cane fields, on the savannah, in the woods 

 ( Lake Catemaco) and in the tliickets about the shores of ponds and 

 along the streams. It was nearly always observed on the ground, 

 but it also climbs to some extent as we saw one sunning itself at 

 füll length on the tops of bushes along the Hueyapam River, four 

 Ol" üve feet from the ground. It also enters the water to some 

 extent, as the writer observed two individuals hunting in the high 

 grass and bushes about the margin of a pond, and the stomach of 

 one of these contained, besides three mice. two small snapping 

 turtles and two toads {Rhinophrynus dorsalis). The *iatter were 

 breeding in the pond. 



Lejitodeira pei'sonata Cope. 

 A Single specimen at Cuatotolapam. 

 The scutellation of this specimen, a female, is as foUows : dorsal 



