"'im.''] PROCEKDINGS OF TIIK NATIONAL MUSKI^M. fj71 



isuluie between the I'ourtli and lillh. Orbital. . .; .. ..^...nils !,„.., 

 3. IJostral plate not luucli elevated ; iiiteniasal .sculueaeh loi:},'rr tiiaii 

 wide ; frontal plate rather narrow ; parietal i)lates each as Utu>r as 

 frontal and prefontal [ilates together. Pre and postgi-nials .snbecpial. 



General eolor above from bright reddish brown to {,'iay, niaik. d by 

 large dark brown transverse spots variously arranged, or ininiat;ulale. 

 Below yellowish or reddish with or without (diestnut or n ddish brown 

 spots wliieh are not tessellated, but are more or less lounded. Length 

 about a meter. 



This abundant and widely distributi-d si)e<;ies presents several well- 

 marked varieties which have been described as species. These gener- 

 ally have a definable geographical range. Together they occupy the 

 entire Eastern and Austroriparion regions. 



Belly si>otted ; back witli broad tiauaveisc spots on a light ground ; luMdjialc, witli 

 a dark postocular band A'. /. faaclata. 



Belly spotted; back with brown spots which extend to the Mides anteriorly "niy, but 

 which mostly alternate with lateral spots; no postocnh'r band .V. /. niprdon. 



Belly Hpotted ; dorsal bauds transverse anteriorly ; jiosteriorly wanting, and lateral 

 spots only X. f. plvurnhH. 



Belly nuspottcd; dorsal and lateral 8i)ots alternate t<. the head N.f. trtiiibi'ima. 



Belly nnspotted ; neither dorsal nor lateral spots ... X. /. < lytltrufiiiiiltr. 



These subspecies belong to the Austroriparian region e.\cei)t N.f. 

 sijJedon, which is nearly confined to the Eastern, and X. f. (raufn'crsa, 

 which belongs to the Texan district. 



Natrix fasciata ifasciata Linn. 



Cojie, Proc. U. S.Xat. Mns. Itidri, p, :»2. 



Coliihir fasciaiiis Linn., Syst. Nat. i, 17()fi, p. :{7rf: 17KH, p. 1094; Ilolbrook. N. Amor. 



I lorp. I, 18:38, p. 93, PI. XX. 

 Tropidouotusfanr'uilua Ilolbrook, N. Amii. litrp. : <i\. ill, l>lv.', ji. 'J.">, IL •' , i ■ 



New York Tauna Kept., p. 17, lH-12 ; do. var. A Giiuther, Cat. C<d. Snake;*. 



Mns. 1858, p. 70 ; Cope, Check List Batr. Ropt. N. Ainer., 1875, p. 42. 

 Xero(liaf<t8ciat<t I5d. and Gird., Cat. .Serpt. N. Anier., lt<5:i, p. '.10. 

 Coluber puicalH.-i I.atreille Hist. Nat. des. Kept. IV, 1"82, p. :W, PI. — , Pig. 1; Dun. tin 



Hist. Nat. Kept, vi, 160:5, p. 204; Harlan, .louru. Acad. Pliila. l^^?, p. 3M. 



Austrorii)ariaii region. 



Natrix fasciata sipedoii Linn. 



Coluber sipcdon Linn., Sy.st. Nat. Mi, ITCi., i, [>. :?79; (iniel., Linn. .*<yHt. Nat. XlII, I. in. 



17-^S, 1098 ; .Shaw Gen. Zooi. iii.pt. II, lr^02, p. 49(1; Merrem'lVntainei; 



Harlan, .Tonr. Acad. Phila. 18-,>7, p. :5r)l ; 8torcr, Itept. Mass. l.";:{9, p. 



son. Hist. Vermont l->42, p. 118. 

 Tropldoiiotus sipedou Ilolbrook, N. Amer. Herp. in. 1842, 2'J PI. VI ; Dam. Bibr. Krp. 



Gen. VII, l'-.')4, p. 5G8. 

 Xirodia sipcdon Bd. and Gird., Catal., 1.-n):J, p. '^'^■ 



Tropidoiiotus aipedon aipedoii Cope, Check List Batr. N. Aiuer. 1876, p. 42. 

 Tropidoiioliis/ascintuH var. B. Giinthcr, Cut. Col. Snake.s Brit. Muh. K»H, p. 7.'). 

 Colubtr pacUogaatcr Wied, Keise nach N. Ainerika i. 1839, p. 10(i. 



Eastern region. 



