16. CROTALID^ 



specks farther back becoming so numerous as to merge into 

 spots or blotches until the posterior half of the ventral sur- 

 face is almost entirely dark brown j a white median line on 

 rostral continuing onto lower jaw and expanding between 

 two wide dark bars, which extend about halfway back on the 

 jawj a light line bordering the second, third, fourth, and 

 fifth labials continuing onto the lower jaw; a light band 

 extending obliquely from the nasals, under the eye to the 

 last four labials, covering them almost completely; below 

 this, running across the pit, a dark band spreading out onto 

 five or six lower labials; a prominent dark postocular band, 

 about three scales wide, not bordered by white above." 



In life, the general color above is yellowish cinnamon 

 with grayish white or very pale cinnamon dorsal cross-bars 

 which probably represent interspaces between obsolete 

 rhombs. Each light bar is partially edged with black and 

 deep cinnamon. On the sides are rather small dark cinna- 

 mon or chestnut spots, the most evident ones being at the 

 lateral extremities of the light dorsal bars and on the first 

 and second and third and fourth rows of scales, making, 

 where well developed, three lateral series of alternating 

 spots. The proximal portion of the tail above is colored like 

 the body, but the distal portion is bluish ash-gray, marked 

 with red at the bases of the scales, the lower row of caudal 

 scales and the urosteges are red, edged with pure white. 

 The light stripes on the head are pure white, the dark 

 streaks, deep cinnamon. The temporal regions are tinged 

 with olive. The lower surfaces are marbled with cinnamon, 

 black and white. Many of the scales on the body have one 

 or more minute black dots. 



Length to anus 196 220 380 44+ 445 



Length of tail 20 18 35 51 37 



Distribution. — This rattlesnake has been found only in 



