328 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



are situated in a longitudinal depression, oblique and slightly curved ; the 

 first aperture is situated in a line with the pupil, and is one-fifth of an inch 

 distant posteriorly. 



Total length, 5.} inches. 



Color. In the alcoholic specimen, the head, back and sides are dark brown ; 

 the belly, clay color. Fins yellow. 

 Habitat. Ohio River. 



A single specimen of this new species of Ammoccetes, is in the cabinet of the 

 Academy, marked as procured in the Ohio River, and presented by Dr. Hil- 

 dreth. The peculiarities of the species are to be noticed in the remarkable 

 length of the head, and distance from the orbit to the first branchial aperture, 

 and also in the unusual size of the dorsal and caudal fins ; from which last 

 peculiarity the specific name is derived. 



Inscriptions of New Species of North American Serpents in the Museum 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington. 



BY ROBERT KENNICOTT. 



TANTILLA Baird & Girard. 

 T. nigriceps Kennicott. 



Specific character. Form more slender and head narrower than in T. g r a- 

 c i 1 i s . Vertical plate more elongate posteriorly, occipitals narrower. One 

 anteorbital, two postorbitals. Seven upper labials. Color (in alcohol) uni- 

 form brownish white above, lighter beneath. Crown as far as behind the 

 occipitals deep black ; no indication of a post-occipital black ring as in T. 

 coronata. 



4491, Fort Bliss, New Mexico. Dr. Crawford. 



2046, Indianola to Nueces, Texas. Capt. Pope. 



DIADOPHIS Baird & Girard. 

 D. Texensis Kennicott. 



Spec. char. Dorsal scales in fifteen longitudinal rows. Color above uniform 

 leaden or bluish black ; beneath light yellow, irregularly spotted with black. 

 Under jaws spotted. A yellowish occipital ring one and a half or two scales 

 wide. 



Descr. Form moderately slender. Head rather narrow, with the crown 

 slightly arched ; snout narrow and depressed. Vertical plate small, tapering 

 posteriorly ; superior labials seven. Eye proportionally large. Outer row of 

 dorsal scales slightly the largest. Color above leaden or bluish black, the 

 crown darker. AsinD. punctatus, the edges of the upper labial shields 

 are yellow, like the lower, but the latter are thickly spotted with black. The 

 abdomen is usually irregularly spotted with tlack over its whole surface, 

 though in some specimens there is a tendency to form a medial row as in D. 

 punctatus. The under surface of the tail is tinged with reddish. 



1897, East of Galveston, Texas. Prof. Andrews. 



2076, Head of Trinity River, Texas. Capt. Pope. 



2079, Llano Estacado. Capt. Pope. 



2155, Monticello, Mississippi. Miss H. Tennison. 



This will be distinguished from D. punctatus by its more slender form, 

 arched crown and narrow snout, by the numerous and irregular spots on the 

 abdomen, and especially those on the mandibular and mental plates. 



LAMPROPELTIS Fitzinger. 

 L. kultistriata Kennicott. 

 Sp. char. Dorsal scales in twenty-three rows. Form similar to that of L. 



[Aug. 



