REPTILES. 



23 



Dorsal scales proportionally small, disposed in IT rows, the outer row scarcely largest. Color above 

 uniform ash gray; beneath light yellow, sparsely spotted all over with black. Head dark brown above; 

 below yellow, thickly mottled with black. As in all the western species, the color of the abdomen deepens 

 into reddish towards the tip of the tail. A yellowish white occipital ring 2£ to 3 scales in width. 

 (Kennicott.) 



2074. Devil's river, Texas. J- H. Clark.— 2066. Tucson, Sonora. A. Schott— 2078. 

 Pecos to Rio Grande. Dr. C. B. R. Kennedy. 



102. TAENIOPJ1IS IMPERIALIS, B. & G. 



Plate XIX, Fig. 1. 



Taeniophis imperialism (B. & G.) Girard in Gilliss' Chile, II, 1855, 215. (Named, not described.) 



Sf. Ch. — Form tapering anteriorly and posteriorly. Tail continuous with the body. Head propor- 

 tionally narrow posteriorly, and broad on the nose; snout rounded. Rostral gibbous, twice as broad as 

 high, the apex below the anterior frontals. Loral as high as long, and more than half as large as the 

 anterior frontals, which are themselves about one-third the size of the post-frontals. The vertical is pen- 

 tagonal, narrow, and elongated, scarcely wider anteriorly, the acute posterior point entering between 

 the occipitals; one ante-orbital large, vertically elongated, broader above; two post-orbitals small, upper 

 largest. Dorsal scales smooth, in 19 rows; central scales narrow and acute, outer rows much broader, 

 especially the first. Body above deep purplish black, with two dorsal stripes of yellowish brown from 

 head to tip of tail, and separated by a narrower vertebral line of the ground color. Head black above, 

 with two narrow yellow lines from the nostrils to the sides of the occiput, crossing the upper angle of 

 the orbit. Upper labials and under part of head yellowish, minutely mottled with black. Ground color 

 of the back extending on to the ends of the abdominal scutcllae. Middle of abdomen uniform light 

 yellowish in the alcoholic specimen; said to be bright red in life — (Kexxicott.) 



2060. Brownsville, Texas. Capt. Van Vliet. 



103. TANTILLA GRACILIS, B. & G. 



Tantilla gracilis, B. & G. Catal. N. Am. Serp. Jan. 1853, 132. 



2040. Indianola, Texas. J. H. Clark.— 2038. Eagle Pass, Texas. A. Schott. 



104. TOLUCA 1 LLXEATA, Kennicott. 



Plate XXI, Fig. 2. 



Sp. Ch. — Body exceedingly stout. Tail about one-sixth of the total length. Head short, wedge-shaped, 

 scarcely wider than the neck. Snout much depressed, acutely pointed, and projecting beyond the lower 

 jaw. Crown arched throughout Vertical plate very large, sub-hexagonal, the anterior extremity 

 elongated in a narrow process to the anterior frontals, thus widely separating the post-frontals. Occipi- 

 tals nearly as broad as long. Superciliaries small. Rostral proportionally large, the apex obtusely 

 pointed, and its centre forming the acute point of the no \ N. al pentagonal, much elongated, pointed 

 posteriorly. One small sub-pentagonal ante-orbital, as long as high; two post-orbitals, upper slightly 

 largest; seven upper labials, first much smaller than the second and succeeding ones; lower labials, six. 

 Dorsal scales in IT rows. The scales of the first lateral rows are higher than hmg; those of the central 

 rows narrower; the outer row largest. Color above uniform light rownish ash, with three imperfect 

 longitudinal blackish stripes? each on a single row of scales. 



1 Gents Toluca, K e n n i cot t . — Size Bmall. Body very stout, sub-cylindrical, deeper than wide. Tail 

 short and thick. Head short and broad, wedge-shaped, almost continuous with the body. Snout pointed 

 and projecting. Cephalic plates normal. Vertical large, sub-hexagonal, the elongated anterior angle 

 separating the post-l'mntals. Occipitals short- r than vertical. Rostral turned back upon the crown, 



and occupying the entire point of nose. A single elong d at al; no loral. Dorsal scales smooth. 



Post-abdominal scutella divided; sub-caudal all divided. 



r 



