782 13. COLUBRID& 



The ground color above is yellowish white so thickl) 

 sprinkled with minute brown or black dots as to present an 

 ashy or olivaceous appearance. Along the middle of the 

 back is a single or double series of more or less alternate 

 and confluent blotches of brown or black. On the sides are 

 two or three or four alternating series of small brown or 

 black spots. There are two or three elongate dark blotches on 

 the nape, each lateral one being produced forward as a 

 narrow band across the side of the face. These nuchal 

 blotches often unite to form a dark transverse band or 

 collar. The top of the head, the labials, and the genials 

 are spotted with brown. The gastrosteges are yellowish or 

 white, immaculate. The urosteges are sometimes speckled 

 with gray or brown. 



Length to anus 137 282 284 318 325 447 



Length of tail 21 60 56 47 60 76 



Distribution. This little snake was originally described 

 from specimens collected in Lower California. Since then 

 it has been taken in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. 

 Specimens from Texas have been described as H. texana. 



In Lower California, it has been secured at Cape San 

 Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, La Paz, Sierra San Lazaro, and 

 San Francisquito, Sierra Laguna, all in the Cape Region, 

 and at Mulege, San Ignacio, Santa Rosalia, and Puerto Es- 

 condido in the central region, as well as on Tortuga, San 

 Marcos, Carmen and Isla Partida near Angel de la Guardia 

 islands in the Gulf of California. 



In California, it has been found in San Diego (San Diego 

 Cuyamaca Mountains, Witch Creek), Riverside (San Jacin- 

 to, Strawberry Valley at 5,000 feet), San Bernardino (Santa 

 Ana Canyon at 5,500 feet, Lovic, Hesperia), Los Angeles 

 (near Los Angeles, Claremont, Mt. Wilson), Inyo (Shep- 

 herd Canyon, Argus Range, Alabama Hills three miles west 



