1852.] 183 



scales; about sixty oblong transverse golden colored spots on each side ; ground 

 color raven black. Abdominal scuta 156 ; sub-caudal V8. 



Description. The head is of moderate size, depressed above ; the temples 

 are somewhat swollen ; the plates upon the upper part of the head, nine 

 in number, do not differ materially from the plates of the Tropidonoti in gene- 

 ral ; the canthus rostralis, or that portion of the side of the head situated between 

 the eye and the extremity of the snout, is distinctly, but not so deeply grooved 

 as in Psammophis; the nostril is situated between two nasal plates, the anterior 

 larger than the posterior ; there is a small quadrilateral frenal plate ; there is 

 one ant-ocular, and three posterior oculars ; a very small part of the ant-ocular 

 plate is seen upon the surface of the head ; the eye is of moderate size, projecting; 

 there is a large temporal plate immediately behind the oculars, and posterior to 

 it are four others ; seven plates margin the upper jaw, of which the fifth and 

 the sixth are the largest ; neck contracted ; body of moderate length, thicker 

 in the middle ; tail about one-fourth the length of the body. There are seven- 

 teen rows of carinated scales. 



Color. Head light chesnut above, deeper in front ; margin of upper jaw, 

 for two thirds of its extent, light olive ; ground color of the body and tail above 

 and upon the sides, raven black ; a yellow band, including one row and the 

 half of each adjoining row of scales, extends from the occiput to the tail, 

 along the middle line of the back ; it is continued upon the tail, but there 

 becomes more narrow ; upon each side of the body, just above the inferior row 

 of scales, is a row of about sixty transverse oblong golden colored spots; one 

 and sometimes two of the intermediate scales is perfectly black ; the spots 

 themselves cover about three rows of scales. Abdominal scuta 156; sub-cau- 

 dal 78. 



Dimensions. Length of head 1 inch ; greatest breadth 6 lines: length of body 

 2 ft. 3 inches length of tail 5 inches 10 lines; greatest circumference 2 inches 

 five lines ; total length 2 ft. 9 inches 10 lines. 



Habitat. Oregon Territory. A specimen in the Museum of the Academy, pre- 

 sented by Dr. Shumard. The most beautiful of the North American serpents 

 hitherto discovered. 



Hyla scapularis. 



iS^. Char. Head small ; body small and slender, olive green above, with nu- 

 merous irregular bluish blotches ; a bluish vitta running from the eye over the 

 shoulder ; total length one and a half inches (Fr.) 



Description. The head is short and small, depressed ; the snout some- 

 what rounded ; the nostrils are small and circular, looking upward and out- 

 ward, about a line apart, situated immediately below the ridge running from 

 the extremity of the snout to the anterior canthus of the eye ; they are nearer 

 the extremity of the snout than the eye; mouth quite large ; the tongue is 

 heart-shaped, quite free behind, notched upon its posterior border; there are 

 two series of palatine teeth between the nostrils, and separated from each other 

 by a narrow intermediate space; the eyes are round and project considerably; 

 the tympanum is small and circular; the body is flattened, rather slender, much 

 contracted posteriorly ; extremities slender ; the upper surface of the body and 

 extremities present numerous small granulations ; abdomen and under surface 

 of extremities much granulated; the granulations upon the abdomen vary in 

 size, and are closely in juxtaposition ; chin and throat granulated. 



Color. Ground color above greenish olive, presenting numerous irregular 

 bluish blotches upon the surface ; several deeper colored blotches upon the 

 sides ; a bluish vitta, about two-thirds of a line in breadth, extends from the 

 posterior part of the eye along the sides of the neck over the shoulder, a short 

 distance beyond which it terminates ; upper surface of extremities marked 

 with bluish spots. 



Dimensions. Length of head 5 lines ; greatest breadth 5 lines ; length of body 

 1 inch ; length of humerus 4 lines ; of fore arm 3 J lines ; of hand to extremity 

 of longest finger 5 lines ; length of thigh 7 lines ; of leg 8 lines ; of foot to ex- 

 tremity of longest toe 7 J lines ; total length 1 inch 5 lines. 



Habitat. Oregon Territory. Piesented to the Academy by Dr. Shumard. 



