BRANSON : SNAKES OF KANSAS. 



389 



nated, then more so toward the back, although everywhere 

 moderately so. Gastrosteges and urosteges less numerous 

 than in the other American species. 



Fig. 17. 

 Coluber vulpinus B. and G. 



Ground color above light brown. A series of broad trans- 

 verse, quadrate, chocolate blotches extending from head to 

 tail, about sixty in number; forty-four to anus. The first spot 

 anteriorly is divided into two on the nape, and occasionally the 

 blotches are irregular, oblique, and varying in size. This oc- 

 curs, however, only on the anterior fifth of the body, behind 

 which the intervals between the blotches are rectilinear, nearly 

 equal, and about one and a half scales in length. The blotches 

 are generally embraced between the fifth or sixth rows on each 

 side, and are three to four scales long. The sides of the 

 blotches are not linear, but obtuse-angled. On each side is a 

 series of smaller rounded blotches, on the third to seventh 

 rows, similar in color to those on the back, and, like them, 

 with a black border, sometimes more or less interrupted. An- 

 other series of subquadrate blotches, about the same as the 

 last, is visible on the edge of the abdomen, sometimes involv- 

 ing the first and second rows of scales ; these are opposite to 

 the dorsal blotches. . Rest of the abdomen yellowish white, with 

 alternating quadrate blotches of black. The brown color be- 

 comes lighter on the sides. 



This is the most robust species of the genus, and it reaches 



