NERODIA. 43 



6. Xerodia faxispilota, B. & G.— Head proportionally small, 

 subtriangulai", pointed on the snout. Vertical plate broad, subquadrangu- 

 lar ; occipitals small. Two postorbital plates ; anteorbital narrow. Dorsal 

 rows of scales 29, all carinated. Brown, with three series of subquadrangu- 

 lar blackish blotches. 



Syn. Coluber taxispilotus, Holbr. N. Amer. Herp. II, 1838, 113. PI. xxv. 

 Tropidonotus taxispilotus, Holbr. N. Amer. Herp. 2d ed. Ill, 1842, 35. 

 PI. yiii. 



The head is proportionally small, conical forwards. The eyes also 

 are small. The vertical plate has the shape of an elongated quad- 

 rangle. The occipital plates are rather small and posteriorly attenu- 

 ated. The anterior frontal plates are small and triangular, the apex 

 of the triangle being directed forwards. There are two large post- 

 orbital plates. The superciliaries are narrow and elongated. Dor- 

 sal rows 29 ; their scales all carinated. 



Ground-color reddish brown, with three series of subquadrangular 

 blackish blotches, forty-six in number, the twenty-sixth opposite the 

 anus. They embrace transversely from 7 to 10 rows of scales, and 

 longitudinally three scales on the two anterior thirds of the body, 

 and two scales on the posterior third. The space between the blotches 

 is equal to the blotches themselves. The lateral series are isolated, 

 that is to say, not contiguous to the dorsal series except sometimes 

 towards the origin of the tail and along the latter region. The 

 blotches extend over nine or ten lateral rows of scales, and affect 

 from three to five scales. Equilateral on the anterior part of the 

 body, they become narrower on the posterior part, and taper upwards. 

 The space between is narrower by one scale. On the tail the dorsal 

 series of blotches has almost entirely disappeared ; now and then an 

 irregular patch may be seen confluent with the lateral series, which 

 remain conspicuous to the very tip of that organ. The lower surface 

 of the body is yellowish white, with irregular deep chestnut-brown 

 patches, the lateral ones contiguous to the lateral series. 



Eicehoro, LiherUj Co., Ga. 141-j-l. 80. 29. 36. 9. Dr. W. L. Jones. 



7. IVerodia Ilolbroollii, B. & G. — Head ovoid or elliptical, nar- 

 rowest on the snout. Vertical plate much longer than in N. taxispilota. Oc- 

 cipitals much larger also. Three postorbitals. Loral higher than long. 

 Dorsal scales in 27 rows, all strongly carinated. Brown, with three series 

 of quadrangular black blotches, the blotches of the lateral series alternat- 

 ing with those of the dorsal. 



