lighter
in the center than at the periphery. Two anterior blotches are divided
medially and narrowly connected by black streaks. Although these are
somewhat suggestive of the pattern of _lineaticollis_, they are more
nearly like that of _deppei_. Four other specimens from the same area
are typically _deppei_. There is some doubt as to the actual provenance
of the snake stated to have come from P['a]rajo Verde, for, according to
Smith (1943: 460), the snake had been tied to a truck and dragged
halfway down the slopes of the Cumbres de Acultzingo, where he found it.
He surmised that it probably was dragged no farther than the settlement,
P['a]rajo Verde, at the Cumbres de Acultzingo.

Fugler and Webb (1956: 171) commented on the uniformly brown dorsum of a
specimen (KU 39564) from 16 miles east and 18 miles north of Ocampo,
Coahuila. It has a higher number of ventrals (242) and caudals (88) than
is known for deppei. It is, without a doubt, a _Pituophis_. It is not
_Pituophis catenifer_, as attested to by the presence of only two
prefrontals. The high number of ventrals and caudals, together with the
uniform dark brown dorsum, provide a combination of characters
indicating that this specimen may represent an undescribed species in
the _deppei_ group of _Pituophis_.

_Distribution._--Southern Chihuahua and southern Coahuila southward on
the western and central parts of the Mexican Plateau to the Valley of
M['e]xico and to southeastern Puebla and adjacent Veracruz.

_Specimens examined._--Total of 63, as follows: _Aguascalientes_: 16 km.
N of Aguascalientes, UIMNH 27149; 17 km. E of Aguascalientes, UIMNH
36222; 5 km. SW of Aguascalientes, KU 29495; Cavillito, UIMNH 28134; 11
km. N of Rincon de Romos, UIMNH 40359-60; 2 km. N of San Francisco de
los Romos, UIMNH 27569. _Chihuahua_: USNM 8321 (2 specimens);
Semachique, CNHM 11825. _Coahuila_: Castanuelas, MCZ 407. _Distrito
Federal_: Lago Xochimilco, UIMNH 18709; Pedregal, UMMZ 99790. _Durango_:
Coyotes, CNHM 1497; Hacienda Magdalena, USNM 46365; Llano Grande, UMMZ
113634. _Guanajuato_: USNM 16442; Acambaro, KU 45003; Irapuato, UIMNH
35055. _Jalisco_: Atemajac, USNM 46385; Guadalajara, USNM 24969; 5 km.
SE of Guadalajara, KU 29508; Jamay, AMNH 19848-9, 19851-2; 3 km. WNW of
Lagos de Moreno, KU 27727; 5 km. NW of Sayula, UMMZ 101933. _M['e]xico_:
Atzocozlco, AMNH 19850; Chalco, USNM 110889; San Juan Teotihuac['a]n,
EHT-HMS 5378, 5383, MCZ 16051. _Michoac['a]n_: 6 km. E of Car