738 13. COLUBRIDSE 



Coluber catentfer BOULENGER, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., Vol. II, 1894, 



p. 67 (part). 

 Coluber catentfer var. vertebralis MOCQUARD, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. 



Nat., 4e Sen, I, 1899, p. 320. 



Description. Head large, rather flat above, with snout 

 projecting and rather narrow. Temporal regions not swol- 

 len. Rostral plate very large, prominent, not very narrow, 

 more or less recurved between internasals on top of snout; 

 bounded behind by internasal, anterior nasal, and first labial 

 plates. Plates on top of head are a pair of internasals, 

 usually four prefrontals, a frontal, supraocular of each side, 

 and a pair of parietals. Anterior and posterior nasals dis- 

 tinct. Loreal usually elongate. Preoculars usually two, 

 rarely one. Postoculars three. Supralabials usually nine, 

 often 10, rarely eight. Infralabials usually 12, often 13, 

 rarely 14 or 16. Temporals of first row varying from three 

 to five, usually four. Genials in two pairs, anterior larger. 

 Scales on body in 31 to 35 rows, usually 35, keeled except 

 in a variable number of lateral rows. Anal plate not divided. 

 Gastrosteges varying in number from 233 to 257, males 

 having from 239 to 245, females from 247 to 257. Uros- 

 teges in two series of from 57 to 67, males having 63 and 

 64, females from 57 to 63. 



The ground color is pale yellow, sometimes suffused 

 with red. Along the middle of the back, from the head 

 to a point over the anus, is a series of from 39 to 48 (at 

 least) dark blotches (average 44). Anteriorly these blotches 

 are bright red, sometimes with scattered blackish scales, 

 which in one young specimen preponderate. On about the 

 posterior third of the body the blotches become jet black. 

 On the upper surface of the tail are from ten to 12 black 

 blotches or cross-bars. There are two or three series of 

 alternating lateral blotches or spots, red anteriorly and black 

 posteriorly j the upper series often confluent with the dorsal 



