394 



KANSAS UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN. 



per labials seven, first, second and third higher than long ; eye 

 above the fourth. Lower labials seven, fourth and fifth largest. 

 Postgenials as long as pregenials. First gastrostege undivided. 

 Gastrosteges 120-140. Urosteges 40-60. Anal divided. 



Fig. 20. 

 Storeria dekayi Holb. 



A thicker snake than S. occipitomaculata. Its diameter is much 

 the greatest in the middle. Length about fifteen inches. Eyes 

 and head small. Color above grayish to chestnut brown. A 

 light dorsal stripe extends from the head to the end of the tail. 

 This stripe is bordered on each edge by a series of brown spots. 

 These spots are formed from brown on the inner side of the 

 bases of two scales and the brown tip of the scale joining the 

 two. Alternating with these is another series of spots formed 

 in the same way. These spots occur at intervals of two scales. 

 Alternating with the second series of spots is a third series. 

 These are very small, covering only the upper side of the base 

 of every third scale of the inferior row. There is a black dot 

 near the end of each gastrostege of^some specimens. Generally 

 these spots are somewhat obscure. The first spot of the supe- 

 rior row is very much enlarged and joins the first spot of the 

 second row. In a specimen now before me the first eight spots 

 of the first and second rows coalesce. Head brown above. One 

 or more small black bars across the temporals. Posterior mar- 

 gins of the third and fourth superior labials black. Frequently 

 the posterior margins of some of the other labials are black. 

 Under part of head whitish. Infralabials sometimes margined 

 with black. 



Several specimens from Douglas county are in the Kansas 

 University museum. I have examined specimens from Wa- 

 baunsee and Wyandotte counties. It occurs throughout the 

 eastern part of the state. Cope (10. 1002) states that it is en- 



