Hurter — Herpetology of Missouri. 189 



2 feet by 18 inches, I found 17 specimens. (May 1, 1898.) 

 The Eing Snake feeds on insects and is oviparous. 



Dates of capture.— March 22 ; April 4, 15 ; May 2, 6, 21, 

 24; November 7. 



Genus liopeltis. 



Head scales normal. Maxillary teeth smooth, equal. Nasal one. 

 Dorsal scales smooth, with one pit. Anal divided. Subcaudals in 

 pairs. Head distinct, size small. Tail long. 



73. Liopeltis vernalis Harlan. Grass Snake. Green 

 Snake. 



Cyclopliis vernalis, Chlorosoma vernalis, Coluber vernalis, Contia ver- 

 nalis, Herpetodryas vernalis. Coluber cyaneus. 



Description. — Rostral broader than deep, visible from above. Inter- 

 nasals proportionally large, more than half the size of the prefrontals. 

 Frontal elongate, nearly once and a half times as long as broad. Parie- 

 tals large, truncate behind. One pre- and two post-orbitals. One nasal, 

 with the nostril in the middle. Loral longer than high. Temporals 1-2. 

 Upper labials seven, third and fourth entering the eye, fifth and sixth 

 the largest. Lower labials eight, fifth the largest, four in contact with 

 the anterior chin shields, which are a little shorter than the posterior, 

 and are in contact anteriorly. Head proportionately long, slightly 

 swollen on the temporal region. Snout rounded and projecting over 

 the lower jaw. Mouth cleft, large, and curved. Dorsal scales in 15 

 rows, smooth, with one pit, the outer row a little broader than the 

 rest. Tail very much tapering, pointed, forming from one-third to one 

 fourth of the total length. Ventrals 125-144. Anal divided. Subcaudals 

 69-95 pairs. 



Color. — Dark green to grass green above, fading on the flanks. Upper 

 lips and lower parts yellowish-white or greenish white. The green 

 changes in alcoholic specimens to blue. 



Size. — Total length 510 mm.; tail 160 mtn. 



Habitat. — Nova Scotia to Wyoming, south and west to 

 New Mexico. Found only rarely in the Southern States. 

 Missouri localities : — ^Randolph, Jackson, and Johnson 

 Counties. In Illinois, Madison and Monroe Counties. 



Habits. — So far I have no record of this snake ever 

 having been captured south of the Missouri River in this 



