OSCEOLA. • 133 



Genus O S C E O li A, Baird & Girard. 



Gen. Char. Head subelliptical, distinct from the body. Cepha- 

 lic plates normal. Vertical hexagonal. Postfrontals very large, ex- 

 tending to the upper labials, and suppressing the loral. Two nasals, 

 with nostril intermediate. One anterior and two posterior orbitals. 

 Mental scutellse 2 pairs. Eyes large. Body slender, subcylindrical. 

 Tail tapering. Scales smooth. Postabdominal scutella entire. Sub- 

 caudal bifid. 



Osceola elapsoidea, B. & G. — Body red, crossed by pairs of black 

 rings enclosing each a white one. Scales disposed in 19 rows. 



Syn. Calamaria elapsoidea, Holbe. N. Amer. Herp. Ill, 1842, 119. 

 PI. xxviii. 



Snout projecting over the lower jaw; mouth deeply cleft. Verti- 

 cal plate hexagonal, longer than broad anteriorly. Occipitals large, 

 elongated, and angular. Postfrontals very large, extending to the 

 2d upper labial. Prefrontals proportionally well developed and tra- 

 pezoidal. Rostral very broad. Nostrils very large, occupying the 

 whole inner margin of the nasals, and visible from above. Ante- 

 orbital narrow, resting on the 3d labial. Middle of the eye over the 

 commissure of the 3d and 4th labial. Two angular postorbitals, in- 

 ferior one situated on the commissure, between the 4th and 5th 

 labials. One large temporal shield, anterior, several posterior ones 

 smaller. Upper labials 7, 6th largest ; inferior labials 7, 5th largest. 



Body subcylindrical, deeper than broad j tail forming about the 

 eighth of the total length. Scales rhomboidal, perfectly smooth, 

 constituting 19 rows; the outer row slightly broader than the 

 rest. 



Ground-color brilliant red above, fading below, annulated with 

 15 pairs of jet-black rings from head to anus, and three pairs on the 



