23. LEPTOTYPHLOPS 



Nat. Sci. Phila., 1901, p. 13; Brown, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 

 ^9°3, P- S48; DiTMARS, Reptile Book, 1907, p. 210; Strecker, 

 Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, Vol. XXI, 1908, p. 73; Strecker, 

 Baylor Bulletin, Vol. XVII, No. 4, 1915, p. 28. 

 GIauco7iia dissecta Cope, Amer. Naturalist, 1896, p. 753 (type locality, 

 silver mines at Lake Valley, southern New Mexico); Cope, 

 Report U. S. Nat. Mus., for 1898, 1900, p. 716, fig. 142. 



Descri'ption. — Body long and slender, with short, blunt 

 tail bearing a small spine at its tip. Head small, continuous 

 with neck, slightly depressed, with prominent rounded snout. 

 Rostral plate strongly recurved on top of snout, and con- 

 tinued back on lower surface of head to mouth. A large 

 nasal plate extending to lip, divided behind, and sometimes 

 in front of, nasal opening. Ocular plate reaching margin 

 or lip between labial plates. Usually one labial behind 

 ocular and one or two between it and nasal. Usually two 

 large plates, parietal and occipital, behind ocular. Nasal, 

 parietal, and occipital plates separated from corresponding 

 plates on opposite side of head by a single series of small, 

 rounded, imbricate scales on head behind rostral. Oculars 

 separated from this central series by a pair of small supra- 

 ocular plates. Infralabials four or five, similar to the small 

 scales on the chin. Fourteen rows of strongly imbricate 

 scales; ventral series often slightly enlarged. Preanal large, 

 single. Caudal scales similar to those on body. 



The color above is reddish or grayish brown; reddish 

 white below. 



Length to anus ....181 223 



Length of tiil 10 12 



Distribution. — This little snake ranges from north-cen- 

 tral, central and southern Texas south into Mexico and west 

 across New Mexico and Arizona. Mr. Herbert Brown sent 

 me a specimen which he had collected at Yuma, the most 



