ERYTHROLAMPRUS VENUTISSIMUS. ^^^ 



Erythrolamprus VENUTISSIMUS, Boie. 



Observ. — We prefer referring our readers to the " Erpetologie g^ne- 

 rale," of Dumeril and Bibron, for the synonymic references to this 

 species, rather than transcribe them here from that work, since we 

 are acquainted with but one variety, the third, and hence not con- 

 vinced of its identity with the other varieties. 



Descr. — The head of the unique specimen of this species which we 

 have before us being in a very mutilated condition, we are not pre- 

 pared to describe either its shape or its structure ; it is even with 

 some difficulty that we have ascertained the genus to which it belongs. 

 The vertex plate, the supraoculars, and the frontals alone are discerni- 

 ble; the former is very broad, subpentagonal, being slightly concave 

 laterally, and rounded off posteriorly. The supraoculars are elon- 

 gated, and somewhat narrower anteriorly than posteriorly. The pre- 

 frontals are much smaller than the postfrontals. 



The neck is a little smaller than the posterior part of the head. 

 The body increases slightly in thickness to the middle region, hence 

 diminishing gradually towards the origin of the tail. The latter, 

 which constitutes about the eighth of the total length, is subconical in 

 shape, tapering rapidly posteriorly. 



The scales, which are large, are disposed upon fifteen longitudinal 

 series ; they are elongated, subrhomboid, and slightly tiled when the 

 skin is not overstretched. The skin itself is of a dull whitish hue. 

 Seven rows of scales may be observed upon the base of the tail, and 

 two only towards its extremity ; they are more truncated and conse- 

 quently shorter upon the latter region than on the body. The abdo- 

 minal scutellae are two hundred and one in number ; the preanal one 

 being subdivided. There are forty-eight pairs of subcaudal scutellae. 



The vertex is black. There is an occipital black ring obsoletely 

 connected under the throat. Twelve more black rings are observed 

 encircling entirely the body, from the neck to the origin of the tail, and 

 covering three or four scales and abdominal scutellae ; the twelfth 

 ring is double, half of which belonging to the tail. The intervening 

 space between these rings embraces from twelve to fifteen scales, 

 which are tipped with black, the ground color being yellowish or 



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