782 13. COLUBRID 
The ground color above is yellowish white so thickly 
sprinkled with minute brown or black dots as to present an 
ashy or olivaceous appearance. Along the middle of the 
back is a single or double series of more or less alternate 
and confluent blotches of brown or black. On the sides are 
two or three or four alternating series of small brown or 
black spots. There are two or three elongate dark blotches on 
the nape, each lateral one being produced forward as a 
narrow band across the side of the face. These nuchal 
blotches often unite to form a dark transverse band or 
collar. The top of the head, the labials, and the genials 
are spotted with brown. The gastrosteges are yellowish or 
white, immaculate. The urosteges are sometimes speckled 
with gray or brown. 
length’ to anu¢= = 137 282 284 318 325 447 
Length of tail. 21 60 56 47 60 76 
Distribution.—This little snake was originally described 
from specimens collected in Lower California. Since then 
it has been taken in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. 
Specimens from Texas have been described as H. texana. 
In Lower California, it has been secured at Cape San 
Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, La Paz, Sierra San Lazaro, and 
San Francisquito, Sierra Laguna, all in the Cape Region, 
and at Mulege, San Ignacio, Santa Rosalia, and Puerto Es- 
condido in the central region, as well as on Tortuga, San 
Marcos, Carmen and Isla Partida near Angel de la Guardia 
islands in the Gulf of California. 
In California, it has been found in San Diego (San Diego 
Cuyamaca Mountains, Witch Creek), Riverside (San Jacin- 
to, Strawberry Valley at 5,000 feet), San Bernardino (Santa 
Ana Canyon at 5,500 feet, Lovic, Hesperia), Los Angeles 
(near Los Angeles, Claremont, Mt. Wilson), Inyo (Shep- 
herd Canyon, Argus Range, Alabama Hills three miles west 
