Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology 5 



shows this light lateral stripe also, and except for the fact that 

 the typical yellow marks on the dorsal scales are lacking it is 

 quite similar to schotti. A few specimens after some years' 

 preservation in alcohol show faint lateral stripes anteriorly in 

 positions comparahle to those of schotti and other species of 

 the tacniatus group; none show evidence of the distinct dark 

 stripes found in schotti. 



The lateral scales, from a point just posterior to the angle 

 of the mouth to ahout scute 10, are blotched with l)rilliant 

 Brazil Red. The top of the head is Dark Grayish Olive to 

 Grayish Olive ; labials and chin shields pearl white to Chalce- 

 dony Yellow ; supralabials cream with dark upper edge of the 

 same color as top of head, sometimes with a narrow lower 

 border of gray blue ; the iris is red-gold to gold-brown, 

 always with a bright gold inner edge ; upper and sometimes 

 lower preocular with Straw Yellow spot; posterior nasal with 

 a bright cream spot on anterior edge ; chin shields usually 

 faintly blotched or spotted with dark gray along sides. 



The dorsal scale formula is 15-13, 15-13-12, or 15-13-12-11. 

 Occasionally the last dorsal scale row lost is regained by the 

 splitting of the row resulting from the fusion of the two dorsal 

 rows just anterior. In such cases, the scale formula becomes 

 15-13-12-1 1-12. The tirst reduction is always the result of 

 the loss of lateral rows, the fifth at points about opposite on 

 the body. The other reductions are due to the loss of one or 

 more mid-dorsal scale rows. The place of lateral reduction 

 averages 117 scutes posterior; the first decrease in the dorsal 

 series takes place 148 scutes posterior, the second, 161 scutes 

 posterior. 



The ventrals vary from 188-197, average male, 193.4. aver- 

 age female 194.2; the caudals from 131-149, (extremes, male 



