41. SONORA 861 
anus are from 21 to 33 transverse bars or rings of black or 
dark brown. These black markings do not reach the gas- 
trosteges anteriorly, but become complete rings posteriorly 
at a distance in front of the anus which varies greatly in 
different specimens and is not dependent upon age or locality. 
On the tail are from six to 10 similar dark rings. On the 
dorsal surface of the body the dark bars or rings usually 
are much narrower than the intervals which separate them, 
but in some specimens the interspaces are little or no greater 
than the black areas. In specimens which have been long in 
alcohol these intervals are white, but in fresher specimens 
approximately the middle two-fourths of each interspace is 
occupied by a transverse orange or yellow or pinkish bar 
which extends down on the sides to about the second or third 
row of scales. The ventral surfaces are white, unmarked 
anteriorly, but posteriorly, at a varying distance from the 
head, showing blackish spots, bars or rings corresponding to 
or actually part of the dorsal dark markings. These ventral 
black marks may begin at a point corresponding to the second 
dorsal black bar, or may first appear only three or four bars 
in front of the anus. The lower surface of the tail is 
crossed by the black caudal rings. 
The colors in life of a specimen captured near Yuma, 
Arizona, March 19, were as follows: 
The dark rings were pure black, and between each pair 
of black rings was a transverse bar or half ring of cadmium 
orange, of about the same width on the midline as the black 
rings, and separated from them by a nearly equal space, 
which was pale lemon yellow., This lemon tint extended 
down onto the sides, and the lower surfaces were a paler 
lemon. 
Richardson describes a fresh specimen as creamy white 
in color the dorsal surface being slightly tinged with olive, 
and crossed by numerous bands of an intense brownish black, 
