33 



TROPIDOXOTUS ERYTHROGASTER.— SAaw). 

 Plate VII. 



Characters. Head elongated; body long, covered with carinated scales above; 

 whole superior surface of animal brick-dust colour, with a tinge of green at the 

 sides; abdomen and tail uniform copper colour. PI. 147. Sc. 60. 



Synonvmes. Coluber erythrogaster, Shaio, Gen. Zool., vol. iii. p. 45S. 

 Copperbellied-snake, Catesby, Carolina, &c., vol. ii. p. 46. 

 Copperbelly, Vulgo. 



Description. The head is large, but elongated and rather pointed at the snout, 

 and covered with large plates. The vertical plate is regularly pentagonal, broadest 

 in front; the superior orbital are quadi-ilateral, elongated, narrow. The occipital 

 are irregularly pentagonal, broadest anteriorly. The frontal plates are quadri- 

 lateral and large; the anterior frontal are of similar shape, but small. The rostral 

 is large and semicircular, concave below, conve.x above. There are two nasal 

 plates, quadrilateral, and nearly of the same size; the anterior is concave poste- 

 riorly, and the posterior lunated in front. There is but one anterior orbital plate, 

 and two posterior, smaller, and nearly quadrilateral. The inferior wall of the 

 orbit is completed by the fourth and fifth labial plates, which are eight in number, 

 quadrilateral, and largest posteriorly. 



The nostrils are lateral, and very near the snout. The eyes are large and 

 bright; the pupil dark, the iris grey, with a tinge of red. The neck is contracted; 

 the body very stout, and covered with strongly carinated scales, notched on their 

 Vol. IV.— 5 



