766 13. COLUBRID 
if ever swollen. Rostral plate large, little broader than 
high, hollowed below, and bounded behind by internasal, 
anterior nasal, and first labial plates. Plates on top of head 
are a pair of internasals, a pair of prefrontals, a short, broad, 
irregularly wedge-shaped frontal, supraocular of each side, 
and a pair of large parietals. Anterior and posterior nasals 
distinct. A small loreal, rarely absent. One preocular and 
two (rarely one or three) postoculars. Temporals normally 
two followed by three. Seven (or eight) superior and eight, 
nine or 10 inferior labials, fifth and sixth superior and fifth 
inferior largest, third and fourth superior reaching eye, 
first pair of inferior meeting on median line. Genials in 
two pairs, anterior much larger than posterior. Scales 
smooth, thin, imbricate, in 23 (or 25 or 24) rows. Anal 
plate not divided. Gastrosteges varying in number from 
226 to 241. Urosteges in two series of from 47 to 60. 
This is a very peculiar snake which may prove to be a 
mere variation of Lampropeltis g. boylii, from which it does 
not differ in size, form, or scale characters. There is an 
immense amount of variation in the color pattern; indeed, 
this is rarely alike in any two specimens. The head is not 
colored differently from that of ZL. g. boylii, except that 
there often is more yellow near the posterior edges of the 
parietal plates. Along the sides of the body are more or 
less broken longitudinal lines or bands of white or yellow. 
Above these the coloration is dark brown to the median line, 
along which is a single, definite, narrow line, or a series of 
small spots or blotches, or both. The tail is dark brown, 
spotted above with white or yellow. The gastrosteges are 
yellow or white, unicolor or blotched with brown as in L. g. 
boylii. 
ene thiitoy: ari 0 see ayy, 342 1044 
DRengthiof (tall eee ee 44 49 140+ 
