With a row of dark blotches on the back; with or without blotches on 

 the sides; with eight upper labials (on each side) ; with one loreal; back 

 teeth grooved or not 155. 



155. With dark blotches along the back and with one or two rows of alter' 



nating dark blotches on the sides; back teeth in the upper jaw large but 

 not grooved; Wash, to Cal., Kansas and Texas 



Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha Cope Rock Snake 

 With dark cross bands across back and sides; back teeth in the upper jaw 

 grooved; Texas 



Leptodeira septentrionalis septentrionalis (Kennicott) 

 {Sihon septentrionale of Cope) 



156. With small scales between the eye and the upper labials; back usually 



with dark blotches; Texas 



Elaphe sclerotica H. M. Smith Davis Mountain Coluber 

 (Coluber suhocularis Brown) 

 Eye in contact with one or more of the upper labials; back with or with' 

 out dark blotches 157. 



157. Usually with nine upper labials; young with more than 50 dark blotches 



on the back; adults dark, with obscure, light, lengthwise stripes; Texas 

 Elaphe hairdi (Yarrow) Baird's Coluber 

 Usually with eight upper labials; mid-dorsal, dark blotches, if present, 

 often fewer 158. 



158. Scales smooth or with five or less rows of faintly keeled scales along the 



middle of the back; with two dark bands extending from the neck on 

 to the top of the head, passing across the parietal plates and joining on 

 the frontal 159. 



With nine or more rows of faintly keeled scales along the middle of the 

 back; no dark bands so situated on head 162. 



159. With dark brown blotches on a brownish or grayish background; with 



a rov^ of three temporals on each side of head directly behind the post' 

 oculars; Neb. southwards 160. 



With dark bordered, reddish blotches on a pinkish tinted background; 

 with a row of two temporals on each side of head directly behind the 

 postoculars; southeastern states 161. 



160. Belly so closely spotted that there are seldom any ventral plates without 



spots; Colorado R. basin 



Elaphe laeta mtermontanus Woodbury, A. M. 6? M. W. Col' 

 orado River Smooth Coluber 

 Belly less closely spotted, so that there are several to many ventral plates 

 without spots; from Neb. southwards 



Elaphe laeta laeta (B. & G.) Western Smooth Coluber 



161. Frontal plate about as wide as long; dark markings on top of head rather 



obscure; belly pinkish, with obscure markings; S. Florida 

 Elaphe rosacea (Cope) Rosy Rat Snake 

 Frontal plate longer than wide; with red, black bordered, markings 

 on head; belly yellowish, with dark markings; N. J. to Fla. and La. 



Elaphe guttata (Linn.) Corn or Red Chicken Snake, Scarlet 



Racer 

 (Coluber guttatus Linn.) 



413 



