TYPHLOPS 59 



broken by depressions between scales along sutures, with trans- 

 verse cutting edge, somewhat hooked in lateral profile; rostral 

 a little longer than wide above, not reaching level of eyes, more 

 than one-third the width of head ; part of rostral below as deep 

 as wide, dimly granular ; prefrontal a little wider and somewhat 

 smaller than frontal, its posterior point reaching a little beyond 

 level of eyes ; frontal as broad as long, larger than interparietal ; 

 supraocular larger than frontal, wider than deep ; parietals much 

 larger than frontal, separated by an interparietal, which is 

 smaller than frontal ; parietals not twice as wide as long ; nasal 

 with a swollen prominence about and above nostril, which gives 

 the anterior head outline an irregular appearance ; nostrils latero- 

 inferior, not visible from above; nasal cleft issues from first 

 labial and barely passes beyond nostril, not wholly dividing the 

 scale ; preocular not as wide as and much shorter than nasal, in 

 contact with 2 labials ; eyes dim, barely outlined ; 2 postoculars, 

 inferior largest, in contact with fourth labial; 4 upper labials, 

 fourth largest, first and second smallest, subequal in size ; scales 

 in 26 rows; tail ending in a sharp spine; 479 scales in a longi- 

 tudinal row from head to tail; body width in total length, 50; 

 tail width in tail length, 3.5 ; tail length in body length, about 17. 

 Color in life. — Above brownish to golden yellow, slightly 

 hghter beneath. There is very little distinction between the two 

 colors, as they merge gradually on the sides. Each scale with 

 a somewhat darker area. 



Measurements of Typhlops nigosa Taylor. 



mm. 



Total length , 395 



Tail 23 



Width of head 7.5 



Width of body 8 



Width of tail 6.5 



Remarks. — Two other specimens besides the type were taken, 

 one adult, and one young. These two were forwarded to Dr. 

 Lawrence E. Griffin, at the University of Pittsburg. They have 

 not been at hand for comparison. All were taken in masses 

 of fern roots growing in high forest trees. Tijphlops rugosa has 

 no close affinity among the Philippine species, unless it be with 

 T. mindanensis Taylor. From the latter it diflfers in the size 

 of the frontal, which is larger than the prefrontal in T. min- 

 danensis. The former has 2, the latter 3, labials touching the 

 nasal ; in the former the head is very rough, in the latter, com- 

 paratively smooth. Many other differences are obvious on a 



