SYNOPSES AND DESCRIPTIONS. 55 



likely that a larger series of specimens may render the degradation of 

 E. obsoletus to the rank of a variety of E. guttatus unavoidable. 



Elaphis guttatus, pi. IV, ficj. 1. 



Coluber gitttatus Linne, 1706, Syst. Nat. ed. XII, 385. 

 Elaphis guttatus hum. & Bibr., 1854, Erp. Gen. VII, 273. 



Elongate, compressed, belly flat, angled at the sides; head elongate, 

 distinct from the neck, tapering regularly to the moderately broad snout, 

 crown flat; tail short, stout, nearly one sixth of the total, tapering. Eye 

 moderate, over the fourth and fifth labials, pupil round. Mouth-cleft deep, 

 curved. Head-shields nine, broad. Parietals broad. Frontal broad ante- 

 riorly. Prefrontals bent down on the side of the face. Internasals small. 

 Rostral large, convex. Nasal in two parts, nostril between. A loreal. 

 One large anteorbital. Two postorbitals. Temporals 24-3. Labials eight, 

 seventh largest. Infralabials eleven (10 — 12), second small, sixth largest. 

 Submentals two pairs, hinder separated by small scales. Scales lozenge- 

 shaped, fore extremity rounded, in 27 rows (with the varieties 25 — 29), 

 dorsal faintly keeled, keels obsolete on the lateral, two or more of the 

 outer slightly broader and smooth. Ventrals broad, 217 to 236. Anal 

 bifid. Subcaudals 63 pairs. 



Pale red in life (brownish-yellow in alcohol), with about forty dorsal 

 blotches of darker red, with a narrow border of black, anteriorly longer 

 than broad, posteriorly broader than long, reaching to a point near the 

 middle of the flank, separated by spaces of two or three scales in width. 

 On the flank several (3 to 4) alternating very irregular and indis.tinct 

 series of spots, the lower reaching the keel of the edge of the abdomen, 

 and having twice as many spots as the others. Below yellowish with 

 quadrangular blotches of black, alternating on each side of the median 

 line or confluent. Head reddish, with a darker black-edged band across 

 the hinder portion of the postfrontals through the eye across the angle 

 of the mouth ; a similar diverging band across the parietals to the neck, 

 inclosing a light-colored space on the top of the neck and back of head. 

 Vertical margins of labials and infralabials more or less black. The 

 pattern of markings is usually confused, except in young specimens. 



