151. HIMANIODEB. 87 



lower labials in contact ■with, the anterior chin -shields, which are 

 as long as or a little longer than the posterior. Scales in 17 rows, 

 vertebrals scarcely enlarged. Ventrals 223-250 ; anal divided ; 

 subcaudals 130-157. Pale brown above ; head with dark brown 

 spots or symmetrical markings ; 35 to 50 dark brown spots or 

 cross-bars on the body, lighter in the centre and sometimes edged 

 with whitish, often connected by a narrow dark brown line on the 

 middle of the back ; lower parts whitish, dotted or powdered with 

 brown. 



Total length 830 miUim. ; tail 270. 



Mexico and Central America. 



A. 35 dorsal spots, broken up on the sides in the posterior half 



of the body. 



«. ? (V. 223; C. ?). Yucatan. (Type of D. splendida.) 



B. 46 dorsal spots, all extending down to the ventrals. 

 h. d (V. 242 ; 0. 155). Yucatan. 



C. 50 dorsal spots, broken up on the sides in the posterior fourth 



of the body. 



c. cJ (V. 231 ; C. 130). Hacienda Santa Gertru- Dr. A. 0. BuUer [0.]. 

 dio, Mexico. 



5. Himantodes gracillimns. 



Dipsas gracillima, Qunth. Biol. C.-Am., Rept. p. 177, pi. Ivi. fig. B 

 (1895). 



Neck extremely slender, not more than one third as wide as the 

 head. Bostral small, broader than deep, scarcely visible from 

 above ; internasals much shorter than the prsefrontals ; frontal 

 once and one third as long as broad, longer than its distance from 

 the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals ; loreal as long as 

 deep or a little longer than deep ; one prseocular ; two post- 

 oculars ; temporals 1-1-2; eight upper labials, fourth and fifth or 

 third, fourth, and fifth entering the eye ; five lower labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin-shields, which are as long as or a little 

 shorter than the posterior. Scales in 17 rows, vertebrals not 

 enlarged. Ventrals 244-253; anal divided; subcaudals 145. 

 Pale brownish above, with 42 to 72 darker spots edged with 

 blackish; these spots being much larger than the' interspaces 

 between them, the body appears brown with pale black-edged 

 cross-bars ; whitish beneath, dotted or powdered with brown. 



Total length 1000 millim. ; tail 300. 



Mexico. 



a. S (V. 244 ; C. ?). S. Mexico. F. D. Godman, Esq. 



[P.]. (Type.) 



b. tj (V. 253 ; C. 145). Tres Marias Ids., W. Hr. A. Ferrer [O.J, 



Mexico. 



