432 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.48. 



Between the stripes, on the dorsal surface, the color is solid black 

 broken by light spots which show between the scales when the skin 

 is stretched. The dorsal surface of the head is olive brown, lightest 

 on the snout, and often blending into the black dorsal color poste- 

 riorly. The throat is dull white or light yellow, the belly variously 

 mottled with slate, often very faintly so. Some of the supralabials 

 are always edged with black. Seventeen specimens with this dark 

 color pattern have a dorsal scale formula of 19-21-19-17, four 19-17, 

 and three 21-19-17. Only one specimen shows a variation in the 

 preocular scales with the asymmetrical number of 1-2. Two speci- 

 mens have 3-4 postoculars, two have 8-9, and one 9-9 supralabials. 

 Many of these specimens closely agree with the description of Baird 

 and Girard's type from Eldorado County, California. 



Six samples of this species in the Tahoe series (two from Tahoe 

 City, three from Fallen Leaf Lake, and one from Glen Alpine) are of 

 a different type of coloration. The median dorsal stripe is absent 

 except for an indication just back of the head, but in one specimen 

 even this indication has disappeared. In three specimens the lateral 

 lines are present and normal, in two they are absent, in one they are 

 but faintly indicated. The dorsal color ranges from olive brown, 

 through dark olive brown to a color which approximates black. 

 One specimen has a row of black spots along the lateral lines. The 

 head above is usually dark olive brown, but in one individual it is 

 lighter olive, while in another it is almost black. The throat is light 

 yellow except in one individual in which the color is gray white. 

 The belly in five individuals is blue gray marked with slate, or slate 

 colored, light green in the sixth. The dorsal scale formula in four 

 specimens is 21-19-17, in one 21-23-21-19-17, and in another 

 23-21-19-17. The preoculars vary in three individuals, being 1-2 

 in two and 2-2 in the third. There are variations of 8-9 supralabials 

 and 10-11 infralabials in three specimens. One specimen has the 

 squamation of ThanmopMs vagrans biscutata (Cope) as defined by 

 Van Denburgh (1897, p. 212); (preoculars 2-2, dorsal scale rows 

 21-23-21-19-17). Another specimen has 1-2 preoculars and 23-21- 

 19-17 dorsal scale rows. The examination of a large series of speci- 

 mens in the Stanford University collection from various parts of 

 California and the Northwest firmly convinces me that biscutata does 

 not deserve recognition. 



The Carson series resembles the six lighter colored specimens in 

 the Tahoe series, but is collectively still lighter. The median dorsal 

 stripe is absent in all but one specimen except for a mere suggestion 

 just back of the head. The lateral stripes are present in two and 

 absent in three specimens. The dorsal surface is lighter and except 

 in one individual there is a more or less definite row of dark spots on 

 each side near the lateral line. The head is olive or olive brown, 



