ISfiO.] -^^" [Cope. 



Tkimorphodon major, Cope. 



This large species has a head of lanceolate form ; the body is com- 

 pressed and the tail slender. The large number of series of scales char- 

 acterizes it most distinctly. Gastrosteges 258, anal 1-1, urosteges 88. 

 The preocular does not reach the frontal ; temporals 3-4-5. There is a 

 broad brown band across the muzzle and chevron, ceasing between the 

 eyes, Avhose limbs are lost above the rictus ovis. A second chevron be- 

 hind this is closed by a spot connecting the limbs behind. The dorsal 

 rhombs extend to the gastrosteges, and are manifestly formed by the 

 union of four spots, two vertebral, and one on each side ; they enclose 

 three spots of the ground in a cross-row. 



Two specimens from near Tehuantepec fi-om Francis Sumichrast. 



Teleolepis striaticeps, Coipe, sp. et gen. nov. 



Character c/enericus. Dentition diacranterian. Cephalic shields nor- 

 mal; two nasals, the nostril in the anterior one ; the loreal region with a 

 deep longitudinal groove. Scales equal, smooth, biporous ; anal shield 

 entire. Tail short, body slender ; head wide, very distinct. 



Disregarding the scale pores, this form miglit be regarded as a near ally 

 of Xenodon, or perhaps of Opheomorphus, for it has the head of the 

 first and the body of the last. The importance of Reinhardt's scale pores 

 I have often had occasion to observe, and I believe their absence or single 

 or double existence to be as important indices of natural groups as any 

 other structural feature. In general, Reinhardt's tables show that sub- 

 terranean and aquatic Colubrine serpents do not possess these pores, 

 w4iile the more highly developed and typical forms of a more aerial life 

 possess them double ; the Coronelline forms of an intermediate character, 

 possess single pores, though frequently none, and rarely two. 



Teleolepis agrees with Alsophis in many technical characters, except 

 in having a single anal shield, but the latter differs especially in its exces- 

 sively elongate tail. A close approach appears to be made by Zamenis, 

 but here the anal plate is double also. Bothrophthalmus Schleg. a Ly- 

 codont, presents the peculiar loreal groove. 



Character specificus. The body is rather compressed, the urosteges not 

 angulate. The scales are in nineteen longitudinal series, and are rather 

 wide on the dorsal region The length of the tail enters the total 5.66 

 times. The head is broad and flat, and the neck narrow. The rostral 

 plate is flat, and slightly visible from above. The internasals are little 

 shorter than the prefrontals, but not so wide. Both nasals are visible 

 from above, but not the loreal ; the preocular reaches the frontal. The 

 latter is as long as the occipitals and rather narrow, with concave borders. 

 Each occipital is as broad as the middle suture ; the superciliaries large. 

 The eyes are large and with round pupil. 



Nasals about equal ; the loreal with a curved supero-posterior mar- 

 gin, which invades the single preocular ; i)Ostoculars three, the superior 

 in-contact with occipital only, the inferior the largest, joining only the 

 fifth and sixth superior labials. The temporals are very small and num- 

 ber 2-3-4. Superior labials eight, fourth and fifth entering orbit ; sixth 



