Yale Peruvian expeditions, 1911-1915.
Publications, v. 25.

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for. the founding cf a, CotUgt ottM^Celony"

J92L

Reptiles Collected by the Yale Peruvian
Expedition of 191 2.

BY
, Thomas Barbour.'

From the Proceedings of The Academy of Natural Sciences of
Philadelphia, September, 1913.,
Issued September SO, 191S.

1913.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 505

REPTILES COLLECTED BY THE YALE PERUVIAN EXPEDITION OF 1912.
BY THOMAS BARBOUR.
Dr. Hiram Bingham has sent me two small lots of snakes, nine
specimens in all, from Machu Pichu, 9,000-10,000 feet altitude,
Department of Cuzco, Southern Peru. They were collected by
Dr. George P. Eaton and Mr. Ellwood C. Erdis. Four species are
represented, of which two are new. The types of the new species
have been studied by Dr. A. G. Ruthven, and the description of one
of them appears under his name. The other he returned, since he
had no material of the genus Drepanodon for direct comparison, and
since the Yale specimen had its teeth badly broken he was loath to
describe it. I have, . however, a specimen of D. anomalus Jan.,
which I obtained in Bolivia, and am enabled to make quite sure,
I think, that the second specimen represents an undescribed species
of this genus. The fact that Dr. Ruthven was leaving for South
America oil a collecting trip, and the desirability of reporting on this
material at. once, has led me to describe one species myself with
Dr. Ruthven's consent, and to include his description of the other
with my own. Dr. Bingham has kindly added these specimens to
the Reptile Collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Atractus badius (Boie).
Boie, Isis, 1S27, p. 540.
Boulenger, Cat. Sn. B. M., 2, 1894, p. 308.
Four specimens from Machu Pichu. In squamation these all fall
within the limits indicated by Boulenger (I.e.). In coloration,
however, they do not agree quite so well. It is also noteworthy that
these four examples from the same locality are exactly alike in
pattern and shade of color. They are pale reddish-brown above,
with more or less irregular darker blotches above which have a
tendency to fall into alternating series upon the dorsal region. The
ventral surface is covered with blotches of brownish-black, many
of which are often confluent. This coloration combines some of the
character* described by Boulenger for what he calls var. B. and C.
Nevertheless, it is quite differen#^an& may be confined to specimens
from this part of Peru. If this t«fnLgpt tojdfe £bJ case, it will be
advisable to name this race. I ****•

506 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Sept.,
Drepanodon erdisii sp. nov.
Type, Mus. Comp. Zool., No. 8,829, from Machu Pichu, Peru, 1912;
collected by the Yale Peruvian Expedition of that year.
Head rather distinct from neck; eye moderate, with vertically
elliptical pupil. Body quite strongly compressed; scales smooth,
no apical pits, in nineteen rows; ventrals 198, rounded; anal un
divided; subcaudals in 64 pairs. Rostral broader than high, just
visible from above; nostril in the suture between two nasals; frontal
longer than broad, almost triangular, the apex being directed back
ward; loreal not conspicuously small, almost a rectangle; one
prae- and two postoculars; temporals 2+3; eight upper labials, of
which the fourth and fifth enter the eye; four lower labials in contact
with the anterior chin shields, which are about equal in length to the
posterior pair.
' In color the head is black, with an incomplete collar interrupted
on the nape (red in life undoubtedly and white in spirits). The
body is crossed by twenty-seven broad black bands, which are about
twelve scales wide dorsally and much more narrow ventrally, usually
covering but four ventrals. The result is an equal number of inter
spaces, wide below and narrow dorsally, which are white in spirits
(probably also red in life). There are numerous black spots in the
white (red?) areas dorsally and a few in the lateral interspaces.
Ten black rings upon tail, including the tip, which is black, the
interspaces being very narrow.
Named for Mr. Ellwood C. Erdis, who, with Dr. Eaton, collected
these specimens.
Drepanodon eatoni Ruthven sp. nov.
Type, Mus. Comp. Zool., No. 8,831, from Machu Pichu, Peru,
1912; collected by the Yale Peruvian Expedition of that year.
"There are 12-13 small maxillary teeth subequal or slightly in
creasing in length, followed after a short interspace by two enlarged
and compressed teeth. Mandibular teeth subequal. Head distinct
from neck; eye moderate with vertically elliptic pupil. Body a
little compressed; scales smooth and without pits, in fifteen rows
throughout; ventrals 165, rounded. Tail moderate, subcaudals in
32 pairs; anal plate entire. Rostral normal, just visible from above;
two nasals; frontal slightly broader than long, with an obtuse angle
posteriorly; loreal very small and low; preoculars 1 and 2; post
oculars 2; temporals 1-2 and 2-2; upper labials 7, third and fourth
beneath the eye; 7 lower labials, four in contact with the anterior

1913.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 507
chin shields, which are of about the same length as the posterior
pair. "Anteriorly the back is crossed by black bars about 4 scales broad,
which are imperfectly continued on the sides of the belly and mostly
interrupted on the median line. Toward the middle of the body
the lateral parts of the bars tend to become displaced to form a
pattern of alternating blotches, which are sometimes connected on
the lower part of the sides. Near the tail the black markings are
again united into cross bars and on the tail again broken up into
alternating spots. The interspaces are about 3 scales wide, and
scales are mostly pale (reddish in life?) , relieved'by small pale brown
lines or spots and generally a poorly defined dark brown spot or line.
There is an irregular light collar, from which a poorly defined con
tinuation extends on the temple. Sides of head with pale mark;
chin much spotted with black.
"It will be noted that the characters of this snake are not exactly
the same as those ascribed to the genus Drepanodon. The principal
differences from the other species are the slightly greater number
of maxillary teeth and the shape of the body, but the writer believes
that the forms have enough in common to make it advisable to refer
the species tentatively to this genus.''
The collection also contains a single paratype of this species.
Named for Dr. George F. Eaton, who, with Mr. Erdis, collected
these specimens.
Lachesis lanoeolatus (LacSpede).
Lacepede, Serp., 2, 1789, pp. 80, 121, pi. 5, fig. 1.
Boulenger, Cat. Sn. B. M., 3, 1896, p. 535.
Two typical examples of this dangerous and wide-ranging species.
Explanation of the Plate XVII.
Fig. 1. — Dorsal view of head of type of Drepanodon eatonii Ruthven. Four
times natural size.
Fig. 2. — Lateral view of head of same specimen": Similar enlargement.
Fig. 3. — Dorsal view of head of type of Drepanodon erdisii Barbour. Four
times natural size.
Fig. 4. — Lateral view of head of same specimen. Similar enlargement.

PROC. ACAD. NAT. SCI. PHILA. 1913.

PLATE XVII.

BARBOUR: DREPANODON EATONII, D. ERDISII.