SNAKES. 181 



terior, two posterior oculars ; scales moderate, keeled, in seven- 

 teen rows ; those of the vertebral row not larger ; subcaudals 

 two-rowed. Eye and nostril moderate. Teeth equal, smooth. 

 Mexico. 



1. Tropidodipsas fasciata. 

 Black, with white cross bands. 



a. Adult. Central America. From the Collection of the Zoo- 



logical Society. 



b. Half-grown. Central America. From the Collection of the 



Zoological Society. 



c. Adult. Mexico. 



d. Half-grown. Mexico. From Mr. Hugo Finck's Collection. 



e. Half-grown. Mexico. 



Description. — Habit rather similar to Leptognathus nebulatus, 

 but with more compressed body and shorter head. Head not much 

 depressed, broad behind, with rather rounded crown and short 

 and blunt muzzle; eye moderate, pupil subelliptical. Rostral as 

 broad as high, rounded above, just reaching the surface of snout ; 

 anterior frontals rather small, spheroid, ix)sterior ones much 

 larger, bent on the sides ; vertical moderate, in one specimen as 

 broad as long ; occipitals moderate ; superciliary much broader 

 behind ; two anterior, two posterior oculars ; upper ante-orbital 

 just reaching the surface of crown ; one loreal, two nasals, nos- 

 tril between; seven upper labials, fourth and fifth forming the 

 lower edge of eye ; about seven temporal shields, only the fore- 

 most in contact with both oculai's ; first pair of lower labials 

 forming a suture behind the terminal one, three pairs of chin- 

 shields behind ; the shields of head exhibit a tendency towards 

 irregularity. Scales with slight keels, in seventeen rows ; those 

 of the vertebral row not larger ; ventral plates rounded, raised on 

 the side; anal entire. Teeth equal, smooth. Black, with seven- 

 teen narrow white cross bands, reaching to the sides of belly ; in 

 one specimen belly whitish, black-spotted ; first cross band on 

 the neck. Length of cleft of mouth ^" ; length of tail 4" ; total 

 length 24". 



9. Hemidipsas, Gunther. 



Body and tail moderate, rather compressed ; head depressed, 

 triangular, rather broad behind, distinct from neck, with rather 

 broad, rounded muzzle ; rostral shield moderate ; only one nasal ; 

 loreal united with lower ante-ocular, reaching the eye ; an ante- 

 ocular above ; two posterior oculars. Scales moderate, smooth. 



