244 [October, 



The species inhabiting the United States are Elaphis Alleghaniensis, guttatus, 

 quadrivittatus and vulpinus ; three others have been described by Dumeril and 

 Bibron, viz., E. spiloides, rubriceps and Holbrookii ; and Profs. Baird and Girard 

 describe also three, viz., Scotophis Lindheimerii, confinis, listus ; the only speci- 

 mens of these we have at present in our collection beside the three first enume- 

 rated, are two of vulpinus, presented by Dr. Gavin Watson, from the neighborhood 

 of Buffalo, New York, which are readily determined from the description of Baird 

 and Girard, and which undoubtedly belong to the genus Elaphis, which, accord- 

 ing to Dumeril and Bibron, was established by Aldrovandi in 1640 for thequad- 

 ri-radiatus of Gmelin, (Elaphis fcervone.) Elaphis Holbrookii is represented as 

 without spots or bands upon the flanks. 



The geographical range of Alleghaniensis, accerding to Prof. Holbrook, is the 

 Blue Ridge, Virginia, Highlands of the Hudson, N. Y., and Mountains of Caro- 

 lina, and according to Profs. Baird and Girard, Carlisle, Penna., Creek boundary, 

 (Hallowell.) 



Ablabes, D, & B. 



Char. " Colubriform serpents with a moderate head, generally somewhat 

 distinct from the trunk, which is almost cylindrical ; abdomen separated from 

 the flanks by an angle but little salient, the scuta being scarcely elevated upon 

 the sides ; snout short, smooth and rounded ; eyes rather small ; tail of moderate 

 length, somewhat tapering ; scales of the trunk rhomboidal, for the most part 

 short and without carinse." D. & B. 



Ablabes Triangulum. Var. calligaster. 



Among the collection of reptiles presented by Dr. Hammond, are three snakes 

 resembling the Coluber eximius of Dekay, but which differ in the markings about 

 the head, in the general color, but more especially in the number of scales, there 

 being but twenty-one rows in eximius, and from twenty to twenty-seven, (20 to- 

 wards the tail and 25 upon the neck,) in one of these specimens ; 25 in the others. 

 The blotches upon the back, of which there are fifty, are more narrow than in that 

 species, their external margins being separated from the abdominal scutes by seven 

 rows of scales; the blotches are from three to five lines in length by eight in breadth; 

 there are eighteen transverse spots upon the tail ; two rows of lateral spots, the 

 superior much larger than the inferior ; the head is long, the frontal (vertical) 

 plate longer than broad, the gape of the mouth extensive, the eye resting on the 

 4th and 5th superior labials in advance of the middle of the gape ; scales per- 

 fectly smooth, more narrow and elongate than in eximius; 210 abdom. scut. 1 

 bifid prajanal ; 65 subcaudal ; total length 2 feet 7 inches, (Fr.) ; of tail 5 inches 

 3 lines ; another 2 feet 6} inches, and a third, 2 feet 8J inches in length ; in 

 another 206 ab. scut.; a single praeanal, 243 subcaud. ; and in a third 198 abdom. 

 scut, one single prajanal and 41 subcaudal. These numbers agree sufficiently 

 well with those of calligaster, as given by Harlan, viz. abdom. 213, caudal 52, 

 (Med. & Phys. Research, p. 122.) whereas in eximius the abdominal plates, ac- 

 cording to Harlan, run as high as 250 in number. Dr. Holbrook, however, gives 

 198 abdom., 1 preanal, 247 subcaudal, and Harlan states that in a living 

 one which he observed, there were only 33pair of caudal scutes. In Professor Baird 

 and Girard's specimens of eximius, the number of abdominal plates varied from 

 200 to 214, and the abdominal from 49 to 55 ; the total length from 2 l&QiAl inches 

 to 3 feet 10 inches, corresponding in this respect with Harlan's description of 

 calligaster, which he says was about 4 feet long ; so that there does not appear to 

 be any material difference between the eximius of Dekay, and the specimens 

 under consideration, either in the number of plates or in the length of the 

 animal, but chiefly, as before stated, in the greater number of rows of scales of 

 the latter; in all Profs. Baird and Girard's specimens of eximius, and in those of 

 the Academy, the number being but 21. There can be little doubt, we think, 

 that the specimens from Kansas are identical with the calligaster of Say, for 

 Dr. Harlan, who appears to have first described those in the Philadelphia 

 Museum, is of opinion that they may be a variety of eximius. Prof. Holbrook, 



