240 [October, 



and very large and stout specimen in the collection of the Academy is black 

 above without any vitta whatever, but marked with transverse longitudinal 

 rows of small spots ; in another, ttie ground color above is brown, and black upon 

 the sides with longitudinal lines of black expanded at intervals, and in these 

 places surrounded with light colored spots, the spots upon the black ground and 

 on the sides much larger; in another, there are longitudinal lines of white spots 

 upon a black ground upon the back, with narrow lines of the same color upon 

 the sides; in anotberj there are transverse bands of white spots on each side, 

 upon the back, which is of a beautiful light brown, and white spots upon the 

 head, the lateral white lines barred at intervals with cross bars of the same 

 colors, with ten rows of dark brown spots upon the middle of the tail. A 

 specimen from South Carolina is light brown above with lateral rows of darker 

 brown ; another from North Carolina is of a uniform drab color above, the 

 scales upon the sides which are greyish marked with numerous black spots of 

 different dimensions and irregular in shape, the abdomen dark dale color ; under 

 part of tail olive with four longitudinal lines of black spots, so that it will be 

 seen that this species varies much in its mode of coloration. According to Dr. Hol- 

 brook, the under surface during life is bright yellow, most remarkable at the 

 abdomen. Dumeril and Bibron describe four varieties, including two nominal 

 speiies, (punctatus and striatulus,) mentioned by Cuvier. 



Ilabilat. From Southern Virginia to Cape Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, 

 Louisiana, and in many of the States bordering on the Missouri and Ohio rivers. 

 Its Northern range west of |he Alleghanies is Michigan, according to Dr. Holbrook, 



Ord. OPHIDIA. 



SbRPENTES INNOCUI. 



Fam. CALAMARIDJ^:. 



The Calamarians belong to the second section or sub-order of Ophidians, the 

 Afilyphodont or Aaemii)phid Serpents of Dumeril and Bibron, characterized as 

 having "recurved, conical, rounded, full and smooth teeth, without cannelation 

 at their points, implanted in both jaws." The serpents belonging to this family 

 have the "body very slender, rounded, and almost of the same thickness from 

 the head to the tail." Dumeril and Bibron assert that all the serpents belonging 

 to it are terrestrial, and divide the family into nine genera, distributed in the E. 

 Indies, (Oligodon without palatine teeth,) (4 sp.) Java, Sumatra, Borneo and 

 Celebes (Calamaria,) (12 sp.) Mexico, Cayenne, Surinam, Santa Cruz, Bolivia, 

 New Granada, Java, (Rabdosoma,) (G sp.) Cape of Good Hope, (Homalosoma,) 

 (1 sp.) Celebes, Macassar, (Rabdion,) (2 sp.) Java, (Elapoidis ) (1 sp.) Ceylon, 

 and the Phillipines, (Aspidura,) (1 sp.) N. America, (Carphophis,) (2 sp.) and 

 (Conocephalus) (1 sp.) To the two last, originating in N. America, we add the 

 following, contained in the Kansas collection, and which, in its general charac- 

 ters, bears a strong resemblance to Homalosoma, but differs from it in the cari- 

 nation of the scales, the acuteness of the snout, the shape of the frontal (vertical) 

 plate, &c. 



Gen. MIOROPS, nob. 



Char. Head small, flattened above and posteriorly, depressed in front ; snout 

 acute ; nine plates upon the top of the head, the pre-frontal considerably larger 

 than the internasals ; frontal plate short, but longer than broad, the two lateral 

 margins nearly straight; nostril in a single plate, near its anterior margin; 

 a frenai, one anterior ocular and two posterior oculars ; seven superior labials, 

 the fifth and sixth the largest, the sixth intercalated between the fifth and 

 seventh, the eye resting on the third and fourth ; occipital plates margined ex- 

 ternally by a row of four or five plates; pupil circular; posterior geneials very 

 long, anterior small and transverse; teeth minute, existing both in the palate 

 and maxillaries ; scales strongly carinated, except the two inferior rows, elonga- 

 ted, slightly notched posteriorly ; gastrosteganot ascending highupon the flanks; 

 tail short and pointed, with a double row of scutes. 



