31. E LAP HE 



Elaphe rosalia Stejnecer & Barbour, Check List N. Amer. Amph. 

 Rept., 1917, p. 84; Van Denburgh & Slevin, Proc. Cal. Acad. 

 Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. XI, 1921, pp. 52, 66; Nelson, Mem. Nat. Acad. 

 Sci., Vol. XVI, 1921, p. 114. 



Descripion. — Head long, distinct from neck, with some- 

 what flattened top, and elongate snout. Body rather slender, 

 a little compressed laterally. Tail tapering, rather short. 

 Rostral large, much broader than high, recurved but little 

 above, bounded behind by internasal, anterior nasal and first 

 labial plates. Plates on top of head are a pair of internasals, 

 a much larger pair of prefrontals, a frontal, in contact with 

 preocular, much broader anteriorly than behind, a pair of 

 supraoculars very narrow anteriorly, and a pair of large 

 parietals. Anterior and posterior nasals distinct. True 

 loreal single, elongate, with a subloreal. Preoculars two, the 

 lower small. Postoculars three. Temporals small and 

 numerous, three, four or two, in the first row. Supralabials 

 10 or 11, ninth largest, fifth or sixth reaching eye. Inferior 

 labials 13 or 12, seventh largest, first pair meeting on 

 median line. Genials in two pairs, the posterior much 

 smaller. Scales on body rather small, short, smooth, with 

 two apical pits, in 33 or 34 rows, those of the outer rows 

 somewhat larger. Anal plate divided. Gastrosteges vary- 

 ing in number at least from 277 to 286. Urosteges in two 

 series of from 83 to 84 (two females). 



The color above is a uniform olive or reddish brown 

 without dark markings, becoming yellowish or greenish to- 

 wards the gastrosteges. The edges of the scales are a little 

 darker. The lower surfaces are grayish or greenish yellow. 



Length to anus . 718 1030 



Length of tail 135 201 



Distribution. — This snake is known from only two speci- 

 mens. The type was obtained near Santa Rosalia, in the 



