106 LEPTOPHIS. 



Genus liEPTOPHIS, Bell. 



Gen. Char. Head conical, very much swollen on the temporal 

 region, separated from the body by a very small neck, and tapering 

 considerably on the snout, which is protruding. Cephalic plates 

 normal. One nasal plate. One loral. One anteorbital and two 

 postorbitals. Eyes large. Cleft of mouth deep and curved. Tail 

 slender and very long, forming more than J of the total length. 

 Scales in 17 rows, carinated, except the first and second rows, which 

 are smooth. Postabdominal scutellse bifid. Subcaudal all bifid. 

 Unicolor. 



Syn. LeptopMs, Bell, in Zool. Journ. II, 1826, 328. 



1. Ijeptopliis aestivus, Holbr. — Body reddish green above; yel- 

 lowisli Tvbite beneatli. Dorsal scales in 17 rows. 



Stn. Coluber sesHvus, Linn. Syst. Nat. 1, 1766, 387. — Gm. Linn. Syst. Nat. 

 ed. xiii, I, iii, 1788, 1114.— Harl. Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. V, 1827, 

 857 ; and Med. & Phys. Kes. 1835, 121. 



Leptophia xsiivus, Bell, Zool. Journ. II, 1826, 329. — Holbk. N. Amer. 

 Herp. Ill, 1842, 17. PI. iii. 



Angiiis viridis, Catesb. Nat. Hist. Carol. II, 1743, 57. PI. Ivii. 



Green Snake, Bartr. Trav. in Carol., Geo. and Flo., 1791, 16. 



Head regularly ovoidal. Vertical plate elongated, subpentagonal, 

 diminishing posteriorly, though not acute. Occipitals elongated, 

 tapering posteriorly, and subtruncated. Frontals subrounded ; pre- 

 frontals smaller than postfrontals by about one-fourth. Rostral 

 rounded, broader than high. Nostril in the middle of the nasal. 

 Loral subtrapezoidal. Anteorbital angular, much broader above 

 than below. Postorbitals subangular, lower one the smallest. Su- 

 perciliary well developed, irregularly oblong. A large pretemporal 

 shield, and three or four smaller ones. Upper labials 7 ; 0th slightly 

 the largest. Lower labials 8 ; 5fch the largest. Posterior mental 

 scutellae slender and elongated, extending beyond the 5th lower labial. 



