OCR Text |
Show APPEKPIX 0.- BBPTILK8. 851 of the length. The head is moderate, conical, detached from the body by a somewhat contracted neck. The eyes afre comparatively large, occupying the . middle of the. length, of the head. There are two anterior orbital plates, the uppermost very large, vertically elongated, reaching the upper surface of the head; the lower one, on the other hand, is v& ry minute, situated between the third and fourth, labial shields^ The poetorbitals artf four in number, of medium, but pearly of equal siae, the upper ones, hbwever, being ^ lightly the largest. The iow. er one is separated from' the small > interior orbital by the fourth labial shield, whi& h reaches the orbit. * The scales of, the back and sides are keeled, elliptical in form, and a litths more pointed posteriorly than anteriorly. On the occiput they aye. smaller, polygonal, and smooth. The coloration, of this snake resembles at first glance iihat of Cdlukr ezimiu$; the ground colour is a light yellowish- browa, maculated with large patches of a deeper brown,' margined With black, and much smeller patches of pure blade. The dorsal row ef brown patches is considerably the largest, as in Coluber emmiui. On the abdome} there are two rows of small and semilunar black dots* the . convexity of whicki* turned forward. A narrow band' of black is seen en the upper surface of, the head; fir advance of the eyes, extending obliquely to the angle1 of the mouth, being only interrupted by the eye itself. ' . This species was collected by General Churchill,. on his. march to Mexico, . on. the left bank of the Rio Grande, at the crossing gear Presidio del Norte, in 1846; and it is with much satisfaction that we embrace the occasion to pay a tribute of respect to one, who, during the exercise of his arduous official labours, has always found time for the advancement of natural history, by tecuring specimens of whatever new or interesting species of ' aoiftials might fall in his Way. COLUBER MORMON*, Baird- and Girard. SPXO. CBVUL.- Posterior frontal plates very large; vertical plats long, and very Harrow on its middle; eyes very large. . The only specimen/ which we have seen of this snafce may prove hereafter to be a young individual, as it is dnly one foot and a half lopg; but we are satisfied'it will also prove to be a very distinct spe-eies. The slender and conical tail forms between a third and a fourth of the total length. . The head is elongated and ovoidal, separated |