SYNOPSES AND DESCRIPTIONS. 55 
likely that a larger series of specimens may render the degradation of 
E. obsoletus to the rank of a variety of E. guttatus unavoidable. 
Exapuis cutratus, pl. IV, fig. 1. 
Cotuser GuTtatus Linné, 1766, Syst. Nat. ed. XTT, 385. 
Exvapuis Gurratus Dum. & Bibr., 1854, Erp. Gén. VIT, 273. 
Elongate, compressed, belly flat, angled at the sides; head elongate, 
distinct from the neck, tapering regularly to the moderately broad snout, 
crown flat; tail short, stout, nearly one sixth of the total, tapering. Eye 
moderate, over the fourth and fifth labials, pupil round. Mouth-cleft deep, 
curved. Head-shields nine, broad. Parietals broad. Frontal broad ante- 
riorly. Prefrontals bent down on the side of the face. Internasals small. 
Rostral large, convex. Nasal in two parts, nostril between. A loreal. 
One large anteorbital. Two postorbitals. Temporals 2+3. Labials eight, 
seventh largest. Infralabials eleven (LO—12), second small, sixth largest. 
Submentals two pairs, hinder separated by small scales. Scales lozenge- 
29), 
dorsal faintly keeled, keels obsolete on the lateral, two or more of the 
shaped, fore extremity rounded, in 27 rows (with. the varieties 25 
outer slightly broader and smooth. Ventrals broad, 217 to 236. Anal 
bifid. Subcaudals 63 pairs. 
Pale red in life (brownish-yellow in alcohol), with about forty dorsal 
blotches of darker red, with a narrow border of black, anteriorly longer 
than broad, posteriorly broader than long, reaching to a point near the 
middle of the flank, separated by spaces of two or three scales in width, 
On the flank several (3 to 4) alternating very irregular and indistinct 
series of spots, the lower reaching the keel of the edge of the abdomen, 
and having twice as many spots as the others. Below yellowish with 
quadrangular blotches of black, alternating on each side of the median 
line or confluent. Head reddish, with a darker black-edged band across 
the hinder portion of the postfrontals through the eye across the angle 
of the mouth; a similar diverging band across the parietals to the neck, 
inclosing a light-colored space on the top of the neck and back of head. 
Vertical margins of labials and infralabials more or less black. — The 
pattern of markings is usually confused, except in young specimens. 
