88 SYNOPSES AND DESCRIPTIONS. 



fourth largest, the anterior widely separated from each other by contact of 

 mental and submentals. Anterior submentals longer than broad, posterior 

 ininute. Total length 7/^ inches; tail 1.', inches. 



Brown, end of muzzle yellow, lower surfaces and occipital region pale. 

 Sides and top of head and three longitudinal bands blackish; the latter 

 extend on to the common line of the third and fourth, and on the vertebral 

 series of scales. Guadalaxara, Mexico. (Cope.) 



Tantilla nigriceps. 



Kennicott, 1860, Pr. Ac. N. Sc, Pha., 328. 



More slender than T. gracilis, head narrower. Frontal more elongate 

 posteriorly, parietals narrower. Orbitals 1 — 2. Labials seven. 



Uniform brownish white (in Ale), light below. Crown as far as the 

 parietals deep black; no indication of a post-occipital black ring as in 

 T. coroiiata. (Kennicott.) Texas and New Mexico. 



Tantilla coronata. 



Baird d- au-ard, 1853, Cat. N. Amcr. Serp., 131. 



Small, worm-like, slender, slightly depressed; head small, indistinct, 

 depressed, crown convex; tail short, slender, tapering to a point. Head- 

 shields nine, broad. Prefrontals short. Frontal hexangular, broad ante- 

 riorly. Parietals long, much separated in front by the frontal. Snout 

 bi'oad, prominent. Rostral broad, bent back on the snout. Nasal divided, 

 nostril in anterior portion. No loreal. Orbitals 1 — 2. Eye small, over 

 the third and fourth labials, pupil round. Labials seven, posterior largest. 

 Infralabials six (6 — 7), fourth largest. Posterior pair of submentals much 

 shorter. Temporals 1 + 1. Scales smooth, subrhomboidal, in 15 rows, 

 outer broader. Ventrals 144. Anal l)ifid, rarely entire. Subeaudals 40 

 pairs. 



Reddish-brown, head darker. A band of black from one half to six 

 scales wide across the neck on the dorsal rows, sometimes absent. A 

 narrow band of light color, a scale or two in width, crosses the occiput 

 on the extremities of the parietals. Frequently a light spot on the tifth 

 labial, reaching toward the eye. Infralabials more or less black. Belly 

 and throat uniform whitish. South Carolina to Mississippi. 



T. wagneri (Jan), from Florida ; has an entire anal-shield. 



