January, 1906

BOIDAE.

12.     Epicrates sabogae, sp. nov.

Types.— No. 6986, Mus. Comp. Zool.

Two specimens, one entire, and one skin from Saboga Island.

This island species approaches E. cupreus Fischer in color.  It is rather dark reddish brown.  Its squamation, however, distinguishes it at once from the mainland form.  The scales are extremely small. Boulenger (Cat. Snakes, Brit. Mus., vol. 2, p. 95) says that the scales in E. cenchris are in 45-51 rows; he also includes E. cupreus in this species.  The Saboga specimens have scales in 65 and 67 rows, an excess of 14 and 16 over the maximum number for E. cenchris.  The number of ventrals and subcaudals, 242 and 247, and 49 and 70, do not show any great variation from the continental form, though 70 is 4 in excess of the largest ventral scale count cited by Boulenger.  Both specimens are the same size and measure four feet in length. The perfect specimen appears to be an adult male.

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