1915.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 171 



anteriorly; the back and sides with 20 pairs of black half-rings, the 

 first on the head, the 16th just back of the anus and the last two 

 rather indistinct. The black half-rings are widest dorsally, on the 

 sides the black rings of a pair approach each other soon to diverge 

 again as the 4th-2d rows of scales are reached. An irregular black 

 spot on the 1st row of scales at the lower end of each white interval 

 sometimes unites the ends of two half-rings; bands between half- 

 rings ivory-white* with very fine dots all over the scales. Width 

 of each black half-ring usually two scales, but one scale wide half 

 way down the sides; the interval usually three scales wide. The 

 first black band narrow and extending from 1st temporal along the 

 anterior margins of the occipital plates to the 1st temporal of the 

 other side. First temporal may be entirely or half black. The 

 gastrosteges almost entirely free of markings. 



Dimensions. — -The total length is 36.4 cm.; the tail 5.4 cm. or 

 6f in total length; the gastrosteges 169; urosteges 19; anal entire, 

 but a half gastrostege ahead of it; temporals 1-2; the nasal divided 

 below nostril; supralabials 6, eye resting on the 2d and 3d supra- 

 labials; infralabials 7; loreal point almost enters eye's orbit on the 

 left side, but is more remote on the right side. 



Breeding. — This specimen, taken June 20, had three white eggs 

 which were very elongate and with thin membranous integument. 

 They were, respectively, 34, 35, 35 mm. long. 



11. TropidonotUS taxispilotUS (Holbrook): "Water Moccasin"; Pied Water Snake; Browa 

 Water Snake; Water Rattle; Water Pilot; Aspic. 



Only eleven specimens of this species were taken, yet it is common 

 along Billy's and Minne's Lakes, Log River and all the more open 

 water courses. It was not far from the Okefinokee Swamp that 

 Holbrook secured one of his two specimens for his original descrip- 

 tion, namely, from Altamaha River. The natives were not anxious 

 to help us in the captures of this species. 



Coloration. — -The coloration is a light chocolate- or reddish-brown, 

 sometimes rusty with a series of three rows of large subquadrate or 

 rectangular spots, the dorsal row varying from 23-27 dark brown or 

 black spots before the anus and 15-18 behind the anus, the averages 

 being 25 and 16, respectively. Anteriorly, the spots are 3-4 scales 

 wide and posteriorly 2-3 scales wide. Li transverse width the larger 

 spots cover 8-10 rows of scales. Alternating with the dorsal spots 

 is a row on either side. These spots cover from the 1st to the 10th 

 row of scales. Normally, the lateral and doreal spots do not touch 

 as the descriptions assert, but in almost every specimen one or tw» 



