﻿ART. 
  24 
  

  

  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  SNAKES 
  AMAEAL 
  

  

  23 
  

  

  led 
  to 
  compare 
  M. 
  dumerilii 
  with 
  M. 
  corallinus 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  ascertain 
  

   whether 
  the 
  former 
  were 
  to 
  be 
  considered 
  a 
  valid 
  species 
  or 
  not. 
  

  

  As 
  represented 
  in 
  Boulenger's 
  catalogue 
  these 
  two 
  species 
  can 
  be 
  

   distinguished 
  from 
  each 
  other 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  following 
  characteristics: 
  

  

  As 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  proportional 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  frontal 
  is 
  concerned, 
  I 
  have 
  

   found 
  it 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  very 
  poor 
  character. 
  The 
  ratio 
  of 
  frontal 
  to 
  

   parietal 
  is 
  3: 
  4.5 
  to 
  3: 
  4.75 
  for 
  specimens 
  from 
  Colombia 
  and 
  Ecuador, 
  

   consequently 
  from 
  the 
  same 
  zoogeographical 
  region 
  as 
  the 
  type 
  of 
  

   M. 
  dumerilii 
  (Cartagena, 
  Colombia), 
  while 
  for 
  specimens 
  from 
  other 
  

   regions 
  the 
  ratio 
  is 
  3.25:3.75 
  to 
  4.5:6.5. 
  

  

  As 
  regards 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  subcaudals 
  the 
  series 
  examined 
  shows 
  

   them 
  to 
  vary 
  from 
  32 
  to 
  56 
  in 
  specimens 
  from 
  Colombia 
  and 
  Ecua- 
  

   dor, 
  thus 
  agreeing 
  with 
  the 
  figures 
  assigned 
  by 
  Boulenger 
  to 
  specimens 
  

   of 
  his 
  M. 
  corallinus 
  collected 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  Finally, 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  outer 
  rings 
  in 
  specimens 
  from 
  Colombia 
  

   and 
  Ecuador 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  a 
  specific 
  difference 
  firstly 
  because 
  

   Boulenger, 
  himself, 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  synonymy 
  of 
  his 
  M. 
  corallinus 
  

   Jan's 
  M. 
  bocourti 
  that 
  has 
  marked 
  outer 
  rings 
  as 
  seen 
  in 
  Jan's 
  figure, 
  12 
  

   secondly, 
  because 
  such 
  rings 
  are 
  sometimes 
  found 
  in 
  specimens 
  from 
  

   Trinidad. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  strength 
  of 
  these 
  data, 
  I 
  have 
  decided 
  to 
  consider 
  the 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  from 
  Colombia 
  and 
  Ecuador 
  as 
  belonging 
  to 
  a 
  local 
  race. 
  

   Likewise 
  those 
  from 
  Trinidad 
  and 
  probably 
  those 
  from 
  Venezuela 
  

   must 
  be 
  given 
  subspecific 
  rank, 
  as 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  distinguished 
  from 
  

   the 
  typical 
  form 
  by 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  ventrals 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  disposition 
  

   of 
  rings. 
  I 
  consequently 
  recognize 
  the 
  following 
  subspecies: 
  

  

  1. 
  MICRUKUS 
  CORALLINUS 
  CORALLINUS 
  (Wied) 
  

  

  Diagnosis. 
  — 
  Body 
  red 
  with 
  single 
  black 
  annuli 
  edged 
  with 
  whitish 
  

   yellow; 
  14-26 
  annuli 
  on 
  the 
  body 
  in 
  males 
  and 
  17^-27 
  in 
  females; 
  

   5-9 
  annuli 
  on 
  the 
  tail 
  in 
  males 
  and 
  4-6 
  in 
  females; 
  ventrals 
  186-207 
  

   in 
  males 
  and 
  198-221 
  in 
  females. 
  

  

  Type 
  locality. 
  — 
  San 
  Francisco, 
  Cabo 
  Frio, 
  and 
  Parahyba, 
  Brazil. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  — 
  Found 
  in 
  southern, 
  southeastern 
  and 
  central 
  Brazil 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  Uruguay, 
  Argentina, 
  Paraguay, 
  Peru, 
  and 
  Venezuela. 
  

  

  12 
  Icon. 
  Gen., 
  1872, 
  pt. 
  42, 
  pi. 
  6, 
  fig. 
  2. 
  

  

  