BRANSON : SNAKES OF KANSAS. 



385 



posteriorly as anteriorly. Prefrontals long and broad. Inter- 

 nasals small. Rostral broad. Loreal slender, pointed posteri- 

 orly. Oculars 1-2. Temporals 2-3. Upper labials eight. 

 Lower labials eleven, sixth largest. Pregenials much larger 

 than postgenials. Gastrosteges 238. Urosteges 78. 



Fig. 15. 

 Coluber spiloides D, and B. 



Color above ash-gray. A dorsal series of about forty-five 

 spots ; anterior spots about thirteen scales wide by six long ; 

 posterior slightly shorter. Most of the spots rhomboidal. Al- 

 ternating with the dorsal spots is a series of elongated lateral 

 spots of the same color as the dorsal. Anteriorly two or three 

 of these spots may coalesce, forming a narrow stripe. On the 

 margin of the gastrosteges is a series of small, square brown 

 spots. Belly whitish with black blotches. Chin and throat 

 white. Four or five lower labials with black blotches. A 

 black stripe from the orbit to the angle of the mouth. A black 

 stripe crossing labials below the eye. Top of head brown. A 

 black stripe crossing base of prefrontals and connecting the or- 

 bits. 



Head distinct from body. Body moderately thick. Tail 

 short and slender. Length three feet. 



One specimen from Douglas county is in the University mu- 

 seum. A specimen from Douglas county, identified by Cope in 

 1878 as C. obsoletus confinis, agrees exactly with his 1898 descrip- 

 tion of spiloides. Cope's C. confinis seems to be a doubtful spe- 

 cies, as it is based upon only two specimens, and he was unable to 

 find the type specimens of Baird and Girard (10. 830). Brown 

 (5 : 49) includes Cope's C. confinis and 0. spiloides under C. oh- 



