89. HYPSIGLENA. 2t)9 



subequul. Head distinct from neck ; eye rather small, with verti- 

 cally elliptic pupil. Body cylindrical ; scales smooth, with apical 

 pita, in 19 or 21 rows ; ventrals rounded. Tail moderate ; sub- 

 caudals in two rows. 



Southern parts of North America, Central America, Venezuela. 



Synopsis of the Species. 



I. Subcaudals 39-55. 



A. Scales in 21 rows ; usually a subocular below the praeocular. 

 Rostral once and a half as broad as 



deep, the portion visible from above 

 nearly half as long as its distance 



from the frontal 1. ochrorhynchut, p. 209. 



Rostral nearly twice as broad as deep, 

 the portion visible from above one 

 fourth to one third its distance from 

 the frontal 2. torquata, p. 210. 



B. Scales in 19 rows ; no subocular .. 3. afflnis, p. 210. 



II. Subcaudals 80-93. 



Scales in 19 rows 4. discolor, p. 211. 



Scales in 21 rows : body cylindrical . . 5. latifasciata, p. 21 1 . 

 Scales in 21 rows ; body feebly com- 

 pressed 6. ornata, p. 21 1. 



1. Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus. 



Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha, Cope, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1860, p. 246 ; 



Garm. N. Am. Sept. p. 80 (1883) ; Cope, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mug. 



xiv. 1892, p. 617 ; Stejnegcr, N. Am. Faun. no. 7, pt. ii. p. 204 



(1893). 

 chlorophsea, Cope, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1860, p. 246 ; Stejneger, I. c. 



texana, Stejneger, I. c. p. 205. 

 torquata, var., Gunth. Biol. C.-Am., Sept. p. 137 (1894). 



Snout conical, prominent. Rostral once and a half as broad as 

 deep, the portion visible from above nearly half as long as its dis- 

 tance from the frontal ; internasals shorter than the praefrontals ; 

 frontal once and one third to once and a half as long as broad, as 

 long as or a little longer than its distance from the end of the snout, 

 much shorter than the parietttls ; loreal longer than deep ; one 

 praeocular, usually with a subocular below it ; two postoculars ; 

 temporals 1-1-2; eight upper labials, fourth and fifth entering the 

 eye : four or five lower labials in contact with the anterior chin- 

 shields, which are as long as or a little shorter than the posterior. 

 Scales in 21 rows. Ventrals 167-175; anal divided; subcaudals 

 41-55. Grey or pale buff above, with a dorsal series of large 

 transverse dark brown or blackish spots and two alternating series 

 of smaller spots on each side ; three elongate dark blotches on the 

 nape, the lateral ones produced forwards as a lateral streak, which 

 passes through the eye and is white-edged beneath ; upper surface 



VOL. II. P 



