1922] Schmidt, Amphibians and Reptiles of Lower California 691 



In coloration, this specimen is even more closely allied to L. cali- 

 fornise California? than the juvenile specimen described by Van Denbufgh 

 (loc. cit., p. 144), thus fully justifying Blanchard's reference of nitida to 

 subspecific rank. 



The superior head shields are entirely dark; a yellow spot extends 

 on the nasals, loreal and preocular; the fourth and fifth upper labials, and 

 the temporals are spotted with yellow; a small spot just behind the 

 parietals; an oblique band crosses the neck, from the fifth ventral to the 

 tenth, about two scales wide dorsally, expanding to include five ventrals 

 below, and extending at each end, about to the mid- ventral line; a half 

 collar anterior to this band; two similar oblique bands follow these, be- 

 ginning on the fifteenth and twenty-fifth ventrals respectively; behind 

 this, there are no complete dorsal crossbands on the body, but there are 

 six on the tail; twenty-two large yellow blotches on each side, beginning 

 on the ends of the ventrals, one or two of which, however, may be 

 entirely yellow, and extending dorsally to the fourth scale row; above 

 these blotches is an obscure, much interrupted, yellow dorsolateral line 

 on each side, on the seventh and eighth scale rows; the lateral blotches 

 are connected by a lateral line at the edge of ventrals and on the first 

 scale row on the posterior half of the body; an irregular, frequently in- 

 distinct vertebral line begins at a point opposite the thirty-fourth ventral, 

 and continues with eight interruptions to the base of the tail; part of this 

 line is straight, part wavy, and at several of the interruptions, the ex- 

 panded end descends laterally and nearly joins a lateral blotch, indicating 

 its derivation from a fundamentally ringed pattern. 



The chief, if not the only, difference between this coloration and that 

 of typical califomise is the predominance of the dark color on the venter. 

 On this ground, and for geographical reasons, the specimen is referred to 

 n itida. It is not unlikely that larger collections will ultimately prove that 

 nitida is a variety of the species calif ornix rather than a vicarious geo- 

 graphical race. 



Lampropeltis catalinensis Van Denburgh and Slevin 

 Lampropeltis catalinensis Van Denburgh and Slevin, 1921r, p. 397-398. 

 Range. — Santa Catalina Island, Gulf of California. 



Key to the Species of Lampropeltis in Peninsular Lower California 1 



1. Dorsal longitudinal stripe, complete or interrupted 2. 



Pattern of rings 3. 



2. Dorsal stripe white or yellow, sharply defined on a dark ground color. 



L. California califomise. 



'After Blanchard, 1920, pp. 1-7. 



