36 SYIV'OPSES AXI) DESCRIPTIONS. 



HyDKOPS AlUCUKUS, jil . I,f<J. 5. 



CoLUiiEU ABACUiius JIMwuk, 183G, N. A. Ilcrjj. Ixl ah, 1, \\'J,j>l. XXIII. 

 Hyduops abacuuus Dum. & Bihi:, 1854, Erp. (u'n., Tab. Go. 



Long, luoderMtely stout, cylindrical; head very little larger than the 

 neck, depressed, rounded; tail ^hort, thick, conical, one sixth to one ninth 

 of the total. Snout short, l)rt)ad. Eye niediuni, ovit third and fourth 

 labials, pui»il round. Mouth-cleft deep, slightly curved. Teeth little 

 larger backward. Head-shields eight. Internasals united. Prefrontals 

 reaching the orbit. Frontal hexangular. Nasal entire, grooved from the 

 nostril to the firsf labial. Nostril small, Adsible from above. Loreal 

 united with anteorliital. One anteorbital. Postorbitals two, lower small, 

 in a notch between the labials. Temporals l-(-2. Labials seven, some- 

 times fused or divieled, penultimate larger. LiiValabials nine, fifth larger. 

 Submentals two pairs, hinder small. Scales smooth, glossy, rounded at 

 the end, in 19 rows, outer broader. Yentrals large, broad, 171 — 203. 

 Anal bitid. Subcaudals in 3o — 47 pairs. 



Ground color red, yellow in alcohol. Back and usually top of head 

 bluish-black. The black color extends down the flanks in wedge-shaped 

 points, separated by Avedges of the red, which sometimes extend to the 

 middle of the back. The bands of black extend nearly or (piite to the 

 middle of the belly, where they meet or alternate with those from the 

 opposite side. Red occasionally encircling the neck or scattered o^er 

 the top of the head. Anterior labials and chin-shields, with rounded 

 S23ots of black. Largest specimen 54 inches long; tail 5-| inches. Mis- 

 sissipjji Valley and eastward, as far north as Illinois and Virginia. 



Hydrops quinquevittatus. 



HoMALOP.sis QT'iN'QUKViTTA'rrs Diiiii. & Bibi:, 1854, Erp. (Jen. VII, (175. 



Elongate, moderately stout, sulicylindrical ; head distinct, little larger 

 than the neck, depressed, crown flat, muzzle narrow between the nostrils; 

 tail stout, tapering regularly to the point. Eye moderate, pupil round. 

 Mouth-cleft deep, outline cur\ed. Posterior maxillary teeth longer, sepa- 

 rated by an interspace. Head-shields normal. Internasals small, narrow 

 in front. Frontal sliort, liroad, truncate, or angled in front. Kasal divided 

 or entire. Loreal half as large as the ante(irl)ital. l*ostorbitals two. Tem- 

 porals H-2. Submentals two ])airs, nearly ecpial, posterior diverging. 



