58- SYNOPSES AND DESCRIPTIONS. 



DrOMICUS FLAA'ILATUS. 



Cope, 1S60, Pr. Ac. N. Sc, Phil., 222. 



Habit moderately slender ; head distinct from the neck, elongate, oval ; 

 tail 3.2 times in the total. Crown-shields nine. Internasals nearly quad- 

 rate. Prefrontals longer than wide. Frontal three fourths as long as 

 wide. Labials seven, third and fourth in the orbit, fifth higher than long, 

 with the sixth separated by a narrow temporal from the parietal, seventh 

 longer than high. Infralabials nine^ four bounding the submentals. Nos- 

 tril in the anterior portion of the divided nasal. Loreal very small, high 

 as long. Oculars 1 — 2. Scales thin, without pores, in 17 series. Ventrals 

 126. Subcaudals 77 pairs. 



A rich golden brown above, the scales of the two inferior rows on each 

 side broadly gold-edged, the color of the back commencing on the third 

 row. Ends of the scales of the vertebral row sometimes darker tipped. 

 Head dark brown, darkest behind, with numerous but obscure paler 

 vermiculations. Side of head paler, with a reddish-brown band from the 

 rostral plate through the eye to the middle of the last labial. Labials 

 whitish, with black dots on the posterior in oblique rows. Below white, 

 lower labials sparsely black dotted. A pair of pale dots on the common 

 occipital suture. Fort Macon, N. C. 



Dromicus margaritiferus. 



HerpetodrYas jrARGARiTlFERUS Schlrgd, 1837, Ess. Pliys. iSVrp., 184 p(. //; mid Abbikl. 1.4-1, fig. 19 — 20. 

 Dromicus margaritiperus Giinther, 1858, Cat. Col. Snakes, 12(5. 



Elongate, moderately slender; head distinct from the neck, long, crown 

 flattened, muzzle prominent; tail slender, near one half of the total length. 

 Eye rather large, pupil round. Mouth deeply cleft, curved. Upper post- 

 maxillary teeth large, isolated, smooth. Crown-shields nine. Prefrontals 

 bent down to the loreal. Nasal divided. Loreal longer than high. One 

 anteocular. Postoculars two, followed by two temporals. Labials nine, 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth in the orbit, the three preceding the last large. 

 Lifralabials ten, sixth large. Submentals two pairs, posterior larger. 

 Scales lozenge-shaped, in 17 — 19 rows, feebly keeled, outer two or three 

 broader and smooth. Ventrals 154 (Schlegel), 115 (Dumei'il). Anal bifid. 



Greenish-yellow on flanks and below. All the scales bordered with 

 brown. The medial rows are descril)ed as black, with a whitish or 

 yellowish center. Top of head yellowish-brown. Mexico and Central 

 America. 



