200 APPENDIX F. REPTILES. 



Other specimens agree except in having bright yellow instead of 

 white as described ; the spots, too, are rather smaller, and manifest a 

 slight tendency to aggregation on adjacent scales, so as to form trans- 

 verse bands. This is seen more decidedly where the back is crossed by 

 about *70 short dotted yellow lines; the 56th opposite the anus. The 

 scales between have very obsolete spots of lighter, scarcely discernible. 

 The sides are yellow, with black spots corresj^onding to the dorsal lines ; 

 indeed, there may be indistinctly discerned two or three lateral series of 

 alternating blotches. 



In larger specimens from the West, this tendency in the spots to 

 aggregation is still more distinct. The back is crossed by these dotted 

 lines of the number and relation indicated, at intervals of four or five 

 scales ; the spots on the intervening space being obsolete. These lines 

 bifurcate at about the 9th outer row, the branches connecting with 

 those contiguous, so as to form hexagons ; and these extending towards 

 the abdomen again, decussate on about the third outer row, thus enclos- 

 ing two series of square, dark spots on each side. These lateral mark- 

 ings are, however, not very discernible, owing to the confusion produced 

 by the greater number of yellow spots. On the edge of the abdomen 

 are dark blotches, one opposite each dorsal dark space, the centres of 

 the scutellse being likewise blotched, but so as rather to alternate with 

 those just mentioned. 



The specimen represented on Plate VII was caught the 16th of May, 

 between Cache creek and Red river. Total length 33^ inches ; tail 3|- 

 inches ; abdominal scutellse 224 ; subcaudals -49. 



8. Ophibolus gentilis, B. & G. 



Zoology, PI. VIII. 



Spec. char. — Muzzle more convex and acute than in 0. doliatus. 

 Body red, encircled by about 25 pairs of broad black rings enclosing a 

 white ring : the white mottled with black on the sides. Black rings 

 broader than in 0. doliatus. Upper part of head entirely black. 



Syn. — Ophibolus gentilis,~B. & G. Cat. N. Amer. Kept. I, 1853, 90. 



Desc. — Ground color deep-red, encircled by 25 pairs of black rings, 

 the 21st opposite the anus, each pair enclosing a third ring of white, the 

 latter becoming yellowish by immersion in alcohol. The black rings are 

 conspicuously broader above, the three crossing eight scales on the verte- 

 bral row anteriorly, and towards the anus about five. Anteriorly the inter- 

 vals between successive pairs consist of about five scales, posteriorly only 

 of two or three, thus diminishing considerably. The black rings con- 



