40. THAMNOPHIS 813 
Thamnophis ordinoides ordinoides Ruruven, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 
No. 61, 1908, p. 147 (part); Sreynecer & Barpour, Check List 
N. Amer. Amph. Rept., 1917, p. 101; GrinneLt & Camp, Univ. 
Cal. Publ., Zool., Vol. 17, No. 10, 1917, p. 179 (part); Van Den- 
BURGH & SLEvin, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Series 4, Vol. VIII, No. 6, 
1918, p. 215, pl. 8. 
Description —Head distinct from neck, flat-topped, with 
narrow, rounded snout, and temporal regions sometimes 
slightly swollen. Eye small.  Rostral large, bounded 
behind by internasal, anterior nasal, and first labial plates. 
Plates on top of head: a pair of internasals, a pair of pre- 
frontals, a frontal, supraocular of each side, and a pair of 
parietals. Anterior and posterior nasals distinct. One 
loreal, rarely absent. One or two preoculars and three or 
rarely two postoculars. Temporals normally two followed 
by two, sometimes 1+1 or 1+3. Superior labials normally 
seven, rarely six, eight or five. Inferior labials normally 
eight, rarely nine, seven, six or five. Usually the fifth or 
sixth superior and fourth, fifth, or sixth inferior labials 
largest, third and fourth or fourth and fifth superior 
reaching eye, first pair of inferior meeting on median line. 
Two pairs of genials, posterior longer than anterior. Scales 
on body in 17 or 19 rows, all keeled except sometimes the 
first row of each side. Anal plate not divided. Gastrosteges 
varying in number from 136 to 162, males having from 
138 to 162, females from 135 to 154. Urosteges in two 
series of from 50 to 81, males having from 56 to 81, 
females from 50 to 72. 
The ground color above is olive or pale blackish brown, 
dotted and spotted with black along the edges of the scales, 
and with or without three light longitudinal lines. The 
lateral lines, when present, are usually grayish or greenish 
blue, while the dorsal line—which often fades out poster- 
iorly—may be white, gray, blue, yellow, or brick red. A 
