148 BULLETIN 61, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



understood, ordinoides includes the followino; described forms which are 

 recognized by different writers at the present time: elegans, atrata, 

 biscutata (part), leptocepJiala. It will seem strange to some herpetol- 

 ogists that I have defined this form as I have, but if the published 

 writings are indicative, no two of the present day authorities will 

 agree as to just which ones it should include, and this very diversity 

 of opinion is an evidence of the close resemblance that exists between 

 the several forms that are usually recognized. 



The lateral stripe is frequently absent, but when present is always 

 upon the second and third rows, and usually grayish or yellowish in 

 color, frequently red for more or less of its entire length. The dorsal 

 stripe is apparently always present except in melanistic individuals 

 and is usually well defined, not being encroached upon by the upper 

 series of lateral stripes. It may be one, one and one-half, or three 

 scales in width, and pale yellow, bright orange j^ellow, or red in color. 

 The form is very variable. Thescalerows maybe 21-19-17, 19-21-19- 

 17, 19-17, 17-19-17-15, 17-15, 15-17-15, but are usually 19-21-19-17 

 or less. The supralabials are usually 8, often 7, occasionally 6 ; infrala- 

 bials 7, 8, 9, or 10, rarely 11 or 12. The oculars are usually 1-3, often 

 1-2, occasionally 1-4, frequently 2-3 or 2-4, rarely 3-3. Unfortunately 

 I have not been able to examine the sex of a sufficient number of 

 individuals to determine, even in a general way, the limits of sexual 

 variation in the number of subcaudals and ventrals. The individual 

 variation is, however, very great. The extremes are: Ventrals, 132 

 (female)-172 (male); subcaudals, 55 (female)-91 (male). Chin 

 shields short, subequal, or nearly so. Eye small. 



There is no single w^ell-defined type of coloration, but the form 

 may generally be known by the following description: The ground 

 color of the dorsal scales may be black, brown, dark or light olive, 

 with or without small" lateral spots. The skin may be either marked 

 by two distinct rows of black spots with light interspaces or be mostly 

 black with small, irregularly disposed areas of lighter. The inter- 

 spaces on both skin and scales frequently considerably suffused with 

 red. The bell}^ is generally some shade of olive or yellow, frequently 

 spotted with red in the middle. Head olivaceous, brownish or black. 



Habits and habitat relations. — I know of no recorded observations 

 on the habits or habitat of this snake. 



Range. — As above defined, ordinoides is known to inhabit in a 

 general way the region lying between the Sierra Nevada-Cascade 

 range and the Pacific Ocean, extending from the Tehachapi Moun- 



Piiget Sound . Although we have not been able to find the type, the original description 

 is perfectly clear, and two characters mentioned therein — two preoculars and two 

 distinct rows of spots — shows conclusively that the description was based on a speci- 

 men of the western form described again in 1853, and since then known as Icptoccphalus. 

 The name ordinoides thus takes precedence over Icptocephalus . I am not certain of 

 the identity of Coluber infernalis Blainville. 



