1856.] 241 



MiCROPS LINEATUS, DOb. 



Char. Size about the same as that of Homalosoma lutrix. 



The head is quite small, slightly rounded above, depressed in front; nine 

 plates ; snout acute ; nostril in a single plate, which is more or less quad- 

 rangular, quite near its superior margin, and very much nearer its anterior than its 

 posterior extremity; on the leftside this plate is cleft inferiorly below the nostril ; 

 a loral ; one anterior orbitar ; two posterior orbitars : seven superior labials, 

 the eye resting on the third and fourth, the sixth acutely angular, intercalated 

 between the fifth and the seventh, not reaching the margin of the jaw ; body 

 slender, thicker in the middle, covered with 19 rows of scales, all of which are 

 very strongly carinated, except the three or four inferior rows, the last being quite 

 smooth and larger than the others ; scales with the exception of the three inferior 

 rows on each side narrow, subellipical, bi-punctate posteriorly, the carina reach- 

 ing the entire length of the scale; tail short and tapering to a point; abdom. 

 scut. 138. subcaud. 34; a single prseanal. 



Coloration. Brown above, with three narrow yellow dorsal vittaj ; the middle 

 occupying one row and half of the adjoining row of scales ; head above brown ; 

 upper jaw light yellow; abdomen and under part of tail yellow, with a double 

 row of triangular spots of a bluish green color along the middle and base of tail; 

 these spots are sometimes confluent at their bases ; the spots beneath the epi- 

 dermis are perfectly black. 



Dimensions. Length of head 4 lines ; greatest breadth 2 ; length of body to vent 

 7 inches 5 lines ; of tail 1 inch 4 lines. 



Habitat. Kansas. One specimen in Mus. Acad., presented by Dr. Hammond. 



Gen. Remarks. At first sight this serpent might be taken for a young Tropi- 

 donote, but a close inspection of the frontal and other plates and the shape of 

 the head indicate the difference. It is of nearly the same size as Homalosoma 

 lutrix of the Cape of Good Hope, but in that genus the snout is obtuse and the 

 shape of the frontal plate not the same, and that of the scales, which are smooth, 

 is very different ; the nasal, however, is in a single plate. In Ischognathus 

 Dekayi the frontal plate is broader, the nostrils between two plates, and there 

 is no loral (Leptognathien, D. & B.) In Conocephalus the snout is acute, and the 

 frontal plate similar but more narrowed, but there is no pre-ocular and but 

 one post-ocular, a long frenal and the nostril between two plates. In Strepto- 

 phorus (Leptognathien) the frontal is broader, the pre-frontals very greatly 

 larger than the inter-nasals; the nostrils between two plates ; no pre-ocular, 

 two post-oculars and a long frenal. 



Fam. CORYPHODONTID^E, 



CORYPHODON FLAVIVENTRIS. 



Among the reptiles presQnted to the Academy by Dr. Hammond is one specimen 

 of the Coluber flaviventris of Say, (Say's Expedition to Rocky Mountains, vol, i,p. 

 185.) This specimen is olivaceous above, yellow beneath, except upon chin and 

 throat, and along margins of lower jaw, which are white ; under part of tail of a 

 lighteryellow than that upon abdomen ; seven superior labials, the eye resting on 

 the third and fourth ; asmall supplementary plate on each side, below the anterior 

 frontal, intercalated between the second and fourth labials ; a quadrangular 

 frenal, two post-oculars ; nostrils between two plates; plates upon temples as 

 described by Say ; 17 rows of smooth elongate scales near the middle of the body; 

 the inferior row the largest; 17 rows upon neck, 15 near the tail ; tail of moder- 

 ate length, longer than in Ablabes. 171 abdom. scuta ; a bifid prsEanal ; 5G 

 sub-caud. (tail mutilated). Total length 2 ft. 6 inches ; of Lead, neck and body 

 2 ft. ; circumference 2 inches. Say describes the posterior and basal edge of 

 the scales as black, and in one specimen an indistinct double row of reddish 

 brown spots irregularly alternating on each side of the abdomen ; these markings 

 are not observed in Dr. Hammond's specimen. 



The genus Coryphodon of Dumeril and Bibron takes its name from two 

 Greek words Ko^y^, Cacumen, summum in quavis re, summit, and oSouc, tooth, in- 



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