33. PITUOPHIS 



dish brown blotches or cross bands. On the anterior part of 

 the body the blotches tend to be more or less rounded, post- 

 eriorly they are more quadrate, or are widf=:r with concave 

 anterior and posterior borders. There are two or three 

 series of alternating, often more or less confluent, dark 

 blotches or spots on the sides. Across the top of the head 

 between the preocular plates is a narrow brown band, more 

 or less obsolete in adults. There are similar bands or spots 

 below the center of the eye and running back and down from 

 the upper postocular plate. The top of the head is light 

 brownish yellow, speckled with black. The spaces between 

 the dark dorsal blotches on the posterior part of the body 

 are light yellowish or grayish orange, usually without dark 

 marks on the keels of the scales. The lower surfaces are 

 yellow or yellowish white, with irregular spots or blotches 

 of light or dark brown on the gastrosteges and urosteges. 

 There is no definite median subcaudal dark band. 



Variation. — Sixteen specimens from Arizona show the 

 following variations. The loreals are 1 — 1 in all. The 

 preoculars are 1 — 1 in ten or 62%; 2 — 2 in five, or 31%; 

 and 1 — 2 in one, or 6%. The postoculars are 3 — 3 in six, 

 or 37%; 3—4 in five, or 31%; 4 — 4 in four, or 25%; 

 and 4 — 5 in one, or 6%. The temporals are 4 — 4 in seven, 

 or 47%; 3—3 in three, or 20%; 3—4 in two, or 13%; 

 A — 5 in two, or 13%; and 2 — 3 in one or 7%. The supra- 

 labials are 8—8 in eight or 50%; 8—9 in three, or 19%; 

 9 — 9 in three or 1 9% ; 9-1 in one, or 6% ; and 8-1 in one, 

 or 6%. The infralabials are 12 — 12 in nine, or 60%; 

 13 — 13 in three, or 20%; 13 — 14 in one, or 6%; 14 — 14 

 in one, or 6%; and 11 — II in one, or 6%. The scale-rows 

 are 33 in eight, or 50%; 31 in six, or 37%; 29 in one, or 



