54 TROPIDONOTUS DEKAYI. 



The body is elongated, but rather stout for the size of the animal, and covered 

 above with carinated hexagonal scales, and with broad plates on the abdomen. 

 The tail is slender, round, one-fourth the length of the body. 



Colour. The superior surface of the head is dusky-olive, with a darker spot 

 below each eye, and another at the angle of the mouth, with two oblong, nearly 

 black spots on the sides of the occiput. The body above is olive-brown, and 

 marked with a pale yellowish vertebral line, extending from the head to near the 

 extremity of the tail, on each side of which is a double series of rounded or sub- 

 quadrate black spots, the superior most distinct; and each abdominal plate has 

 several minute black dots, which are so disposed as to form four series, not very 

 regular, on the belly, and terminate at the tail. 



Dimensions. Length of head, 8 lines; length of body to vent, 14 inches; length 

 of tail beyond the vent, 3i inches: total length, 15 inches 10 lines. 



Habits. The Tropidonotus Dekayi frequents meadows and places where the 

 grass is of luxuriant growth, and feeds on various insects, as crickets, grass- 

 hoppers, &c. 



Geographical Distribution. This animal has a very Avide range; Dr. Pickering 

 found it~ in Massachusetts, Dr. Dekay in New York, Dr. Pitcher has seen it in 

 Michigan, and Professor Green has specimens from Louisiana. 



General Remarks. Dr. Pickering several years since furnished me with an 

 individual of this species, which, until that time, had been very generally considered 

 as the young of the Tropidonotus ordinatus or Tropidonotus sirtalis, from 

 which, however, it is perfectly distinct in colour, form, and in wanting a loral 

 plate. Recently iny friend Dr. Dekay, gave me a fine specimen of this serpent, 

 with a beautiful drawing, done from life, and proposed calling it Coluber dorsalis: 

 the name is appropriate enough, but has been applied to another animal by 

 Fitzinger. 



