282 ANGXJiDJi;. 



width of the frontal, usually separated from the latter by a pair of 

 prajfrontals ; interparietal narrower than the parietals, as broad as 

 or narrower than the occipital ; two shields on a line from the nasal 

 to the azygos pnefrontal ; four supraoculars and five supraciliaries. 

 Ear-opening distinct, horizontal, considerably larger than the nostril. 

 Dorsal plates in fourteen longitudinal and about one hundred and 

 twenty transverse series ; the median dorsal plates obtusely keeled, 

 the laterals as well as the veutrals smooth ; latter in ten longitu- 

 dinal series. No rudiments of limbs externally. Tail about twice 

 as long as the body ; upper caudal plates obtusely keeled, lower 

 smooth. Green above, marked with black aud yellow, or brownish 

 with lateral dark brown longitudinal bands ; lower surfaces yellow. 



Prom snout to vent 28 centim. ; tail 51. 



Eastern North America ; from Mexico (Jalapa) northwards to 

 North Carolina and the southern parts of Illinois. 



a. Ad. N. America. Dr. R. Harlan [P.]. 



b. Ad. N. America. Lord Ampthill [P.]. 



c. Ad. N. America. 



3. Ophisaurus attenuatus. 



Opheosaurus ventralis attenuatus {Baird), Cope, Bull. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. 



no. 17, 1880, p. 18. 

 veutralis, Shufeldt, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mns. iv. 1882, p. 392. 



Differs from 0. veutralis in the following points : — A single longi- 

 tudinal row of small teeth on the posterior part of the palatines and 

 on the pterygoids, where the row becomes double. Head narrower 

 and more depressed. Ear-opening minute, not larger than the 

 nostril. Dorsal shields in fourteen longitudinal and one hundred 

 transverse series. Pale yellowish-olive, back with three longitudinal 

 dark brown bands, the median of which disappears on the tail; 

 sides of head and of anterior part of body sprinkled yellowish 

 and dark brown. 



Erom snout to vent 20 centim. ; tail 51 millim. 



The geographical range of this form remains to ascertain. Cope 

 calls it a Western form, i. e. apparently restricted to Texas and New 

 Mexico. Whether the form occurring in North Mexico is the pre- 

 sent or the preceding is not known. 



a. Ad. N. America. E. Doubleday, Esq. [P.]. 



Yar. siilcatus. Under this name. Cope records a form from 

 Texas, which he provisionally regards as a variety of the present. 

 The carinae are elevated on the ten median dorsal rows, so as to 

 leave sulci between them ; on the posterior part of the body the 

 keels extend to the lateral rows, and on the tail even to the interior 

 surface. These notes are taken from a halfgrown specimen. 



