33. PITUOPHIS 709 



Urosteges in two series of from 53 to 79, males having from 

 59 to 79, females from 53 to 78. 



The ground color is pale brown or yellowish gray, 

 sometimes obscured by the spreading of the blotches or the 

 presence of dark marks along the keels of its scales. Along 

 the middle of the back between the head and a point over 

 the anus is a series of from 56 to 93 (average 70) dark brown 

 or black blotches. On the upper surface of the tail are from 

 14 to 30 (average 21.4) dark blotches. There are several 

 series of smaller alternating dark blotches or spots on the 

 sides. These spots sometimes tend to unite to form longi- 

 tudinal lines. Across the top of the head, between the 

 preocular plates, is a line of black or brown. A similar line 

 runs down from the center of the eye and another back and 

 down from the upper postocular plate. The lower surfaces 

 are yellowish white, usually maculated with black or brown. 



Length to anus _.315 660 820 860 1200 1260 



Length of tail 52 135 165 170 270 210 



Variation. One specimen has no loreal plates; the 

 other 103 all have the normal loreal 1 1. The preoculars 

 are 2 2 in seventy-nine, or 78%; 1 1 in seventeen, or 

 16%; and 1 2 in six, or 6%. The postoculars are 3 3 in 

 seventy-one, or 69%; 3 4 in eighteen, or 17%; 4 4 in 

 eleven, or 11%; 4 5 in one, or 1 %. 2 3 in one, or 1 % ; 

 and 2 2 in one, or 1 %. The temporals are 4 4 in thirty- 

 nine, or 38%; 3 3 in twenty-six, or 25%; 3 4 in twenty- 

 one, or 20%; 4 5 in nine, or 9%j 2 3 in three, or 3%; 

 2 2 in three, or 3 % ; 5 5 in one, or 1 % ; and 2 4 in 

 one, or 1 %. The supralabials are 8 8 in fifty-six, or 54% ; 

 8 9 in twenty-seven, or 26%; 9 9 in fourteen, or 14%; 

 9 10 in three, or 3%; 7 8 in two, or 2%; and 10 10 

 in one, or 1%. The infralabials are 13 13 in thirty-two, 

 or 31%; 1212 in twenty-two, or 21%; 1.2 13 in nine- 



