cad.
Sci., 31:474, November 11, 1941.--Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Apatzingan (5); Arroyo El Salto; Arteaga; Capirio; El Sabino
(7); La Palma; La Placita; Ostula; San Juan de Lima.

Not all of the specimens from Michoacan are typical in color pattern of
this subspecies, as defined by Smith (1941a:475). All specimens from the
Tepalcatepec Valley are uniformly black above; they have reddish or
cream-colored chins and the anterior two-thirds of the belly salmon-pink
or reddish buff. Individuals from the Sierra de Coalcoman (Arteaga and
Arroyo El Salto) are like those from the Tepalcatepec Valley. Three
specimens from the coastal lowlands differ noticeably in color pattern:

UMMZ 104504, adult male (Ostula).--Pale brown above flecked with black
anteriorly; at midbody, flecks form narrow transverse bands that become
progressively wider posteriorly, until on tail no brown pigment evident,
all ventrals reddish buff, except last eight, which are black.

UMMZ 104602, adult female (La Placita).--Black above, reddish
cross-bands and flecks on all of body; dorsal and ventral surfaces of
tail black; chin cream-color and entire belly reddish buff.

UMMZ 114626, adult male (San Juan de Lima).--Black above; dull
rust-colored cross-bands on anterior half of body; chin white; belly
rust-colored on anterior two-thirds of body and black posteriorly.

One specimen from La Palma on the Mexican Plateau (KU 29275) has the top
of the head an olive-color, the entire dorsum black, the chin and
ventrals 1-42 a cream-color, remainder of venter black, and all of the
labials heavily barred with black. A juvenile from Capirio in the
Tepalcatepec Valley (UMMZ 114627) is black above and has pale
olive-colored flecks on the anterior one-third of the body; the top of
the head is dark olive-brown, and the sides of the head are somewhat
paler. Anteriorly the belly is a cream-color; posteriorly it is black.

The specimens from the Tepalcatepec Valley are typical of _Drymarchon
corais rubidus_. Those from the coastal lowlands differ in having large
areas of brown or red pigment on the dorsum, a condition not mentioned
by Smith in his description of the subspecies. The specimen from La
Palma, like many others from various localities on the Mexican Plateau,
resembles in certain characters _D. corais orizabensis_ (Smith, _op.
cit._: 477). Our knowledge of the geographical variation in coloration
in this species is incomplete; many populations