13. COLUBRIDM 



In Lower California, it has been taken at La Paz and 

 Todos Santos, in the Cape Region, and, farther north, on 

 Magdalena Island and at Santa Rosalia, Mulege, Ballenas 

 Bay, San Fernando, San Quentin, and San Antonio. 



Remarks. — One specimen from Ventana Canyon in the 

 Catalina Mountains, Pima County, Arizona, has a well 

 developed loreal on each side of the head, but in other 

 respects is quite typical. The prefrontal plate may or may 

 not reach the labials. The dark dorsal markings may not 

 extend down to the gastrosteges, may involve them slightly, 

 or may cross them as complete rings. For these reasons I 

 am unable to recognize C. efhippcus and C fasciatus as dis- 

 tinct from C. cinctus. 



Habits. — Almost nothing has been recorded regarding 

 the habits of this little snake. It is said to burrow in the 

 ground and live on the larvce of ants. 



198. Chilomeniscus punctatissimus 



Van Denburgh & Slevin 



Island Burrowing Snake 



Chilomeniscus punctatissimus Van Denburgh & Slevin, Proc. Cal. Acad. 

 Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. XI, No. 6, 1921, p. 98 (type locality, Isla Partida, 

 Espiritu Santo Island, Gulf of California, Mexico). 



Description. — Head rather wide, little distinct from 

 neck. Snout rather broad, rounded, greatly depressed, point- 

 ed in profile. Rostral plate very large, broad, prominent, 

 extensively reverted on upper surface of snout, bounded 

 behind by two plates on each side of head, these being a 

 large plate, corresponding to the internasal and nasals 

 merged, and the first supralabial. Plates on top of head are 

 the naso-internasals, a pair of prefrontals, a frontal, supra- 

 ocular of each side, and a pair of rather short parietals. Post- 

 erior nasal small. No loreal. One preocular. Two post- 



