74. DEOMicirs. 121 



elongate. Rostral broader than deep, just visible from above ; inter- 

 nasals as long as broad, shorter than the prsefrontals ; frontal 

 twice as long as broad, longer than its distance from the end of the 

 snout, shorter than the pariotals ; loreal longer than deep ; one 

 pr£e- and two postoculars ; temporals 1+2, anterior very large; 

 eight upper labials, third, fourth, and fifth entering the eye ; five 

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

 shorter than the posterior. Scales in 17 rows. Yentrals obtusely 

 angulate laterally, 164-180 ; anal usually divided ; subcaudals 102- 

 129. Length of tail 3 to 3J times in the total length. Olive 

 or pale brown above, uniform or with small dark spots, or dark 

 brown with small yellow spots ; a nlore or less distinct dark f" 

 shaped marking on the head, the longitudinal branch on the parietal 

 suture ; young with a dark streak on each side of the head, passing 

 through the eye ; yellowish or pale olive inferiorly. 



Total length 1150 millim. 



Bahamas, Cuba, Caymans. 



a. 2 (V. 173 ; C. ?). Cuba. M. Sails [0.1. 



5. Yg. (V.176; 0. 108). Cuba. 



c. 2 (V. 180 ; 0. 113;. Little Cayman. Lieut. A. Carpenter [P.]. 



d, e. SkuUs. Cuba. 



3. Dromicus ater. 



Natrix atra, Gosse, Nat. Soj. Jamaica, p. 228 (1851). 



capistrata, Gosse, I.e. p. 371. 



Dromicus ater, Gunth. Cat. p. 127 (1858) ; Jan, Icon. Gin. 23, pi. iv. 



(1867). 

 Alsophis ater, Ccyjfie, Proc. Ac. PMlad. 1862, p. 76 ; Garm. Proc. Am. 



Phihs. Sac. xxiv. 1887, p. 282. 

 Dromicus (Ocyophis) ater, Bocourt, Miss. So. Mex., Rept. p. 713, pi. 1. 



fig. 1 (1890). _ 

 ater, var. inconstans (Jan), Bocourt, I. c. p. 714, fig. 2. 



Eye moderate, with projecting superciliary border; snout moderate. 

 Eostral twice as broad as deep, scarcely visible from above ; inter- 

 nasals as long as broad, shorter than the prBefrontals ; frontal once 

 and a half to once and two thirds as long as broad, longer than its 

 distance from the end of the snout, shorter than the parietals ; no 

 loreal, prsefrontal in contact with the second and third labials ; one 

 prae- and two postoculars ; temporals 1 + 2 ; eight upper labials, 

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

 with the anterior chin-shields, which are shorter than the posterior. 

 .Scales in 17 rows. Ventrals 171-185; anal divided; subcaudals 

 144_162. Length of tail 2| to 2| times in the total length. Olive 

 above and below, uniform or dotted with black ; a more or less 

 distinct dark line on each side of the head, passing through the eye ; 

 some specimens uniform black. 



Total length 1100 millim.; tail 430. 



Jamaica. 



