864 13. COLUBRID& 
duced moderately beyond lower jaw. Rostral large, broad, 
not very low, projecting beyond mental much less than in 
S. occipitalis, somewhat recurved on top of snout, and 
bounded behind by internasal, nasal and first labial plates. 
Plates on top of head are a pair of internasals, a pair of pre- 
frontals, a frontal, supraocular of each side, and a pair of 
parietals. Anterior and posterior nasals united into a single 
plate. Loreal usually longer than high, sometimes small, 
merged with nasal on one side of one specimen. One pre- 
ocular. Two postoculars. Temporals one followed by two, 
or 1+1. Supralabials normally seven, sometimes six, third 
and fourth reaching eye, next to last largest. Infralabials 
usually seven, sometimes six or eight, fourth largest, first 
pair meeting on median line. Genials in two pairs, the post- 
erior much smaller. Scales on body smooth, in 15 rows. 
Anal plate divided. Gastrosteges varying in number from 
149 to 176. Urosteges in two series of from 45 to 53. 
The head is light yellowish olive, or pinkish, or orange- 
red above, with a black or dark brown crescentic blotch on 
the parietal and frontal plates, extending to the eye as in 
S. occipitalis. In some specimens this blotch is nearly obsolete. 
On the body between the head and anus are from 23 to 39 
transverse black bars. There are from six to 11 similar black 
bars or rings on the tail. The bars on the body usually do 
not quite reach the gastrosteges, but may involve their tips. 
The lateral scales which lie within these black bars have 
light edges, while the lateral scales in the interspaces often 
have central or basal dark markings, producing a linear effect 
similar to that seen on the lateral regions in S. episcopa. The 
interspaces between the black bars usually are but little 
greater than the bars themselves, but may be much more, 
even twice as long on the midline. These interspaces dorsal- 
ly are reddish orange or rose pink in alcoholic specimens, 
fading to white laterally. The lower surfaces are yellowish 
