]^94 Trans. Acad. Set. of St. Louis. 



77. Gaephophis amoenus Say. Worm Snake. Ground 

 Snake. 



Coluber amoenus, Celuta helenac, Carphopliiops helenae, Carphophis 

 helenae, Celuta vermis, Carphophiops vermis, Carphophis amoena, 

 Carphophiops amoenus, Celuta amoena, Brachyorrhos amoenus. Car 



lamaria amoena, Carphophis vermis, Carphophis amoenus var. 

 vermis. 



Description. — Rostral broad. Nasal one, nostril in the anterior half. 

 A large loral, forming with the prefrontal the anterior border of the 

 orbit. Internasals none or two. Postorbital one. Temporals 1-1. 

 Frontal nearly as long as broad. Upper labials five, third and fourth 

 entering the eye, fifth the largest. Lower labials six, fourth the 

 largest, four in contact with the anterior chin shields, which are 

 longer than the posterior. Head very small, snout moderately elongat- 

 ed and rounded. Body glossy, tail short, tapering to a point. Dorsal 

 scales in 13 rows, smooth. Ventrals 112-134. Anal divided. Sub- 

 caudals 24 to 26 pairs. 



Color. — The color of the back is chestnut brown to light gray and 

 glossy black. Beneath salmon to flesh color (pink). 



Size. — Total length 315 mm.; tail 50 mm. 



In my description I have included the three varieties: C. amoenus, 

 C. helenae and C. vermis, as I found it rather difficult to make dis- 

 tinguishable characteristics. I have before me 45 specimens: 



2. C. amoenus from North Carolina. 

 4 C. helenae from east of the Mississippi River. 

 2 C. helenae from west of the Mississippi River. 

 37 C. vermis from west of the Mississippi River. 



Separating them: 



1st. By the color of the back, I have 6 'brown, 8 gray, 31 bluish 

 black. Two of the brown ones are from North Carolina and one 

 each from Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois. All the gray 

 and black ones are from west of the Mississippi River. 



2nd. In regard to the internasals, I find that four from east of 

 the Mississippi River have no internasals, and thirty-nine have one 

 pair of internasals. With the exception of two from North Carolina 

 these are from Missouri and Arkansas. 



3rd. By comparing the color of the back reaching to the outer 

 rows?, the color reaches in two to the first row, in thirteen to half of 

 the second row, in fifteen to the second row, and in fifteen to the 

 middle of the third row. 



All the specimens examined have 1-1 temporals. 



