106 COLUBER LEBERIS. 



the inferior smaller and quadrilateral, the superior larger and crescentic; behind 

 these is a single oblong temporal plate; the inferior wall of the orbit is completed 

 by the third and fourth labials, of Avhich plates there are eight on each side, all 

 large and nearly quadrilateral. The eyes are large; the pupil dusky, and the iris 

 golden, with a few black specks. The neck is contracted, and covered with small 

 subhexagonal carinated scales. 



The body is elongated, rather slender, and covered above with large hexagonal 

 strongly carinated scales, slightly notched at their posterior extremity, and with 

 broad plates below. The tail is long, slender, and slightly subtriangular and 

 compressed at the sides. 



Colour. The superior surface of the head is olive-brown; the lips are straw- 

 colour. The body above is olive-brown, with three longitudinal dusky lines; the 

 belly is pale yellow, with four dusky longitudinal parallel lines on the plates; those 

 near the lateral extremities are largest, those near the centre of the abdomen 

 smaller. The tail is coloured above like the back, though the lines disappear 

 long before they have reached the tip; below, the lateral lines are continued for 

 some distance, the central ones giving only a waving clouded appearance at the 

 junction of the subcaudal scales. 



Dimensions. Length of head, 1 inch; length of body, 19 inches; length of 

 tail, 7 inches; total length, 27 inches. Dr. Green informs me that he has 

 specimens in his possession much larger than the dimensions above given. In 

 the specimen here described there were 143 abdominal plates, with the anal 

 double, and 70 subcaudal scales. 



Habits. Not much is known of the habits of the Coluber leberis. Mr. 

 Peale, however, once informed me that it was a water snake; and this might 

 almost have been inferred from the form of its scales, which are precisely like 

 those of our common water snakes. 



