64 BULLETIN 114, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



22367) has the following dentition: maxillary teeth, 15 on each side, 

 increasing very gradually in size posteriorly, the last three slightly 

 larger than those preceding; mandibular teeth 16 on each side, 

 somewhat larger anteriorly, decreasing in size posteriorly; palatines 

 strong, subequal, 10 on each side; pterygoids smaller than palatines, 

 subequal, 19 on the left side and 17 on the right. 



Habitat and hahits. — It is highly desirable that notes on the natural 

 history of this form be taken and reported, for comparison with the 

 typical form, as apparently there are no such observations in the 

 literature. 



Range. — This form replaces getulus in Florida from about Orange 

 County south, probably to the Miami Kiver in the southeast, where 

 it is in turn replaced by hrooksi. In addition to the localities repre- 

 sented by specimens in the United States National Museum, specimens 

 belonging to other museums have been examined from Kissimmee 

 Prairie, Orlando, Gotha, and Vero, Florida. 



Variation and affinities. — That this form is most closely allied to 

 getulus is plainly evident from its form, proportions, markings, 

 penis, skull, and scutellation. Its pattern is obviously derived 

 from that of the latter by an obliteration of the narrow forks on the 

 sides, and an increase in the dorsal and lateral white markings. It 

 is uncertain just how this pattern was derived, but it is very possible 

 that it took place in the following way: new transverse bands were 

 developed from the white central scales midway between the original 

 bands; a lightening of each dark scale began near its base and ex- 

 tended from there basally, then distally, until ail the area of these 

 scales, except the distal margin, was lightened. The isolation of 

 this form in the peninsula of Florida, the fact that no Lampropeltis 

 is known from the West Indies, and the juxtaposition of its range to 

 that of typical getulus allows of derivation from the latter species 

 only. 



