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We wish to thank Dave Barker for kindly providing this material.

 Vol. 8. p. 25-30. pl. 1-2                                                                                                            FEBRUARY 6, 1932

 Occasional Papers
OF THE
Boston Society of Natural History

 FIVE NEW SUBSPECIES OF THE FAMILY BOIDAE.
BY OLIVE GRIFFITH STULL

   In the course of a revision of the family Boidae the examination of large series of specimens has revealed examples of what are apparently five new subspecies representing four genera of that group.   It seems advisable to describe these forms before the presentation of the complete revision.
  I wish to express my indebtedness for the opportunity of studying this group to the National Research Council, under whose grant as a Fellow in the Biological Sciences the revision has been made, and to give my sincere thanks to Dr. Thomas Barbour, under whose direction the work was done in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University.
  Four of the described forms are represented by types in the Museum of Comparative Zoology.  A new subspecies of the genus constrictor is named in honor of Dr. Afranjo do Amaral, the collector of the type and several of the paratypes.

Constrictor constrictor amarali, subsp. nov.

Type.---Museum of Comparative Zoology no. 16700, collected by Dr. A. do Amaral.
Type Locality.---Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Paratypes.---University of Michigan Museum of Zoology nos. 63009-63011, Sao Paulo Brazil, collected by Dr. A. do Amaral, and no. 68005, Buena Vista, Dept. Santa Cruz, Bolivia, collected by Dr. Jose Steinbach; Field Museum of Natural History no 9197, Aquidaunos, Matto Grosso, Brazil, collected by Dr. Karl P. Schmidt; and no. 9198, Urucum, Matto Grosso, Brazil, collected by Dr. K. P. Schmidt; American Museum of Natural History no. 14549, Brazil, collector unknown.
  Diagnosis.---This form may be distinguished from the related subspecies as follows:  from the more northern South American form Constrictor constrictor constrictor (Linne’) by the lower number of scale rows (71-79 instead of 85-89), the lower average number of ventrals (226-237 (average 232) instead of 234-250 (average 242)), the lower average number of caudals (43-52 (average 48) instead of 49-62 (average 54)), and the grayer coloring and differently shaped dorsal spots; from the Argentinean C. c. occidentalis (Philippi) by the smaller number of ventrals (242-251 in the latter) and the coloration; from the Mexican and Central American C. c. imperator (Daudin) by the lower number of ventrals (235-253 (average 243.4) in the latter), the lower number of caudals (47-69 (average 59.7) in the latter), and the coloration; from the Saboga Island C. c. sabogae (Barbour) by the lower number of ventrals (241-245 in the latter), the lower number of caudals (68 in the latter), and the coloration; and from the Mexican C. c. mexicanus (Jan) by the higher number of scale rows (71-79 instead of 55).
  Description.--- Male.  Squamation: scale rows 53-75-37; ventrals 237; caudals 50; supralabials 22, separated from the suboculars by a series of scales; infralabials 23 on the right side, 24 on the left; 17 scales in the right ocular ring, 19 in the left.  Anal spurs present.
  Dentition:   mandibular teeth 18; maxillary 17; palatine 5; pterygoid 10.
  Coloration:   ground color of both dorsum and belly uniformly heavily gray-speckled; dorsal series of 22 median spots on the body, 5 on the tail, the spots of the midbody region being saddle-shaped but each with a definite tapering process extending anteriorly in the vertebral line and another extending posteriorly; the dorsal spots connected by a dark dorso-lateral streak on either side, bearing each a pale elongate spot at the lateral edge; a series of alternating dark spots, usually with light centers, on the sides; posteriorly and on the tail the spots are larger and quadrangular in shape.  Total length 495 mm.; tail length 51 mm. or 10.3 percent  of the total.
  Variation.---The seven paratypes show the following variation:  scale rows 53-61 at the neck, 71-79 in the middle of the body, 37-43 anterior to the vent; ventrals 226-237; caudals 43-52; supralabials 20-24; infralabials 23-27; oculars 15-20; anal spurs much smaller in females than in males; maxillary teeth 17-18; pterygoids 10-11; tail length from 8.3 to 13.8 percent of the total length, the largest specimen (field no. 9197) measuring 1570 mm.
  Remarks.---Of the eight specimens examined two have the mental shield as broad as long, three have it longer than broad, and three broader than long.  This form is thus intermediate between C. c. constrictor and C. c. occidentalis in this character as well as geographically, and the latter should therefore be considered a subspecies rather than a full species, as hitherto.

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