758 13. COLUBRIDSE 



ior, and fifth or fourth inferior largest, third and fourth 

 superior reaching eye, first pair of inferior meeting on 

 median line. Genials in two pairs, anterior much larger 

 than posterior. Scales smooth, thin, imbricate, in 23 or 

 rarely 25 rows. Anal plate not divided. Gastrosteges vary- 

 ing in number from 212 to 248. Urosteges in two series of 

 from 44 to 57. 



The ground color of the head is black. Across the pre- 

 frontals and internasals is a broad transverse bar of white. 

 The rostral is white with a black border on the sides and 

 above. The nasals, loreal, oculars, and sometimes tempor- 

 als have whitish central spots. The labials and genials are 

 whitish with blackish edges. The white markings on the 

 prefrontals and internasals occupy not more than half the 

 area of these plates. Beneath the eye there usually is a 

 rather conspicuous enlargement of the dark borders of the 

 third and fourth labial plates. Light markings on the post- 

 erior portion of the head are infrequent. The pattern on 

 the body, like that of L. getulus boylii, is of whitish rings 

 on a black or dark brown ground color, but the scales of the 

 white rings are marked basally with brown or black, which 

 sometimes extends irregularly over the scales so as to greatly 

 obscure the rings. The latter are narrow on the back, one to 

 two and a half scales in width, widening on the sides to about 

 two to five scales, and traversing the belly. The rings 

 may be broken on the midline above or below, and alternate 

 for a greater or less distance. They vary in number from 

 29 to 42 on body and tail. The belly usually is crossed by 

 the continuation of the black and white rings, but the whitish 

 ventral plates usually are conspicuously marked at their 

 bases with dark brown. Rarely, the belly and head are with- 

 out whitish markings. 



Length to anus _ 753 883 924 1030 1062 1220 



Length of tail 120 112 95 14-2 142 174 



