33. PITUOPHIS 



posteriorly and may be so even on the neck. There are 

 several series of smaller, alternating blotches or spots on the 

 sides. Across the top of the head between the preocular 

 plates is a narrow, brown band, often more or less faded. 

 A similar band runs down and back from the upper postoc- 

 ular, and there is a brown or black spot below the eye. The 

 top of the head is grayish or yellowish brown, marbled with 

 dark brown on the parietal and frontal plates. The spaces 

 between the dark dorsal blotches on the posterior part of 

 the body are grayish or yellowish or light brown, some- 

 times with an orange tinge, usually without dark marks on 

 the keels of the scales. Anteriorly dark keels often are 

 present on the scales of the interspaces. The lower surfaces 

 are yellow or yellowish white with brown or black spots, 

 chiefly on the lateral portions of each second, third or fourth 

 gastrostege and urostege. In some specimens there are cen- 

 tral marblings. Rarely, there may be one median, or two 

 lateral, longitudinal subcaudal dark bands. 



Length to anus.- 380 +92 570 720 765 1155 



Length of tail 65 90 98 122 130 168 



Variation. — Twenty-eight specimens from California and 

 western Nevada show the following variations. The loreals 

 are 1 — 1 in all. The preoculars are 2 — 2 in twenty-four, or 

 86%; 1 — 2 in two, or 7%; and 1 — 1 in two, or 7%. The 

 postoculars are 3 — 3 in twenty-two, or 79%; 4 — 4 in five, 

 or 18%; and 3 — 4- in one, or 3%. The temporals are 3 — 4- 

 in eleven, or 39%); A — 4 in five, or 18%; A — 5 in four, or 

 14% ; 5—5 in three, or 11 % ; and 2—3, 3—3, 3—5, 5—6, 

 and 6 — 6 each in one, or 3%. The supralabials are 8 — 8 in 

 seventeen, or 61%; 8 — 9 in six, or 21%; 9 — 9 in four, or 

 147o; and 8 — 10 in one, or 4%. The infralabials are 

 13— 13 in thirteen, or 46%; 12— 12 in six, or 21 %; 12—13 

 in four, or 14%; 12—14 in two, or 7%; 13—14 in two, or 



