NATRIX 93 



oculars (1 on left side), both in contact with loreal; supra- 

 ocular as long as frontal, about half as wide; 3 postoculars; 

 temporals 1+2; upper labials 8 (9 on right side), third, fourth, 

 and fifth (fourth, fifth, and sixth on left side) entering eye; 

 seventh, sixth, and fifth largest in the order named ; 9 lower 

 labials, 4 in contact with first pair of chin shields (5 in all the 

 other specimens) ; 2 pairs of chin shields, second longest and 

 narrowest ; scales in 19 rows, keeled strongly, except outer row, 

 which is less strongly keeled than the others ; ventrals, rounded, 

 138; anal double; subcaudals, 71; eye moderate, its diameter 

 not equal to its distance from nostril ; head narrowed in front, 

 and noticeably broadened in temporal region. 



Color in life. — Above bluish black, head dark brown with 

 a milk-white stripe from rostral across upper part of labials, 

 continuing backward and downward to where it reaches eighth 

 ventral scale ; lower part of upper labials dark ; lower labials 

 spotted with dark ; chin shields immaculate creamy yellow ; belly 

 same color, with a zigzag subcaudal line to end of tail. 



Measurements of Natrir lineata (Peters). 



mm. 

 Total length 625 



Tail 159 



Variation. — Table 13 shows the scale counts on a series of spec- 

 imens collected in the same locality as the type. The variation 

 in the ventral count is from 132 to 142 ; in the subcaudal count, 

 64 to 71. The most variable elements are the upper labials and 

 the preoculars ; there is a tendency for the third labial to split 

 and in consequence the number of labials entering the orbit 

 varies; 8 is the predominant number of upper labials; 2 is the 

 predominant number of the preoculars. 



Markings on the back are evident in the younger specimens. 

 In No. 32 (E. H. Taylor collection) the head is a distinct brown 

 with a broad semicircular dark area on the occipital region 

 followed by a milk-white collar which joins the two labial lines; 

 behind this is a transverse dark olive band, then another lighter 

 olive band, broader than the former, and still another narrow 

 black band, and a second light olive band, after which the dark 

 color breaks up into a network, the limits of the meshes being 

 marked with a larger dark spot. The ground color is light 

 olive brown ; this specimen shows a powdering of brown on 

 each ventral, with the subcaudal region very dark. 



