596 NORTH AMERICAN. SNAKES— -COPE. 



CARPHOPHIOPS Geivais. 



Diet. Hist. Nat. Univei-s. par D'Orbiguy in, \>. 101, 1843 ; Cope, Proc. Acad. Phila., 1860, 

 p. 78; Cehita Btl. and Gird. Cat. Serp. N. A., 1853, p. r29. Car2)Ji02)his Diim<'''ril Pru- 

 droiiie Class. Kep. Ophid., 18r.3, 43-46; Erp. Gen., vii, 1854, p. 131; Giiuther, 

 Cat. Col. Suakes, Brit. Miis., 1858, p. 17. 



Head depressed, contiuuous with the body. Cephalic plates uorinal, 

 sometinies no distinct iuternasal plate. Oue nasal, nostril in the mid- 

 dle. No anteorbital ; loreal entering orbit. Scales smooth, pitless. 

 Postabdominal scntella bifid. Subcaudals divided. 



This genus is tbe Xortli American -representative of the Neotropical 

 Ebabdosoma and Elapoidis, the typical forest-burrowers. The species 

 are generally found under and in rotten logs, and under the bark, where 

 they readily make their way, forcing their sharp muzzle into narrow 

 places with much muscular strength. 



Carphophiops has exactly the plate and scale formula of Abastor. 



The two species of the genus differ as follows : 



Temporal scales 1-2; light color of belly not extending to third row of scales. 



C. amcemis. 



Temporal scales l-l ; light color of belly extending to third row of scales; back 



darker C. vermis. 



Carphophiops anic3enu.s Say. 



Cope, Proc. Acad. Phila., 18ii0, p. 78; Cohilcv amanus Say, Journ. Acad. Phila., iv, 

 1825,237; Storer, Eep. Mass., 1839, 22(); Calamaria ammia Schlegel Essay Phys. 

 Serp., 1837, 31; PI. i. Figs. ID, 20. Jirachi/rirrhos «(»«««« HolbrookN. Amer. Her- 

 petal, III, 1842, 115, PI. xxvii. Celuia amwna Bd. and Gird. Cat., 1853, p. 129. 

 CarphopMs amanu. Dniii. Bibr. Erj). Gen., vii, 1854, p. 132; Giiuther, Cat. Col. 

 Snakes Brit. ]Mns., 1858, ]>, 17 ; Jan Icon. Gen. Oph. i, 12, ii. Fig. 4 ; Celntaheleiia' 

 Kennicott, Proc. Acad. Phila., 1859, p. 100. 



In nearly half the specimens the internasal scuta are wanting. This 

 condition was supposed by Keuuicott to indicate a distinct species 

 (C heleiuv Kenn.) and by some others, a distinct genus. There is, how- 

 ever, no other character by which to se{)arate it from the 0. amocnvs, 

 and the character itself is not constant. Thus in jar No. 8840 from 

 Union County, Tenn., one spe(;imen has both internasals, a second has 

 but one, and a third is without any. In jar No. 12046 from Mount 

 Carmel, 111., nearly all the S|)eciinens lack the internasals, but one of 

 them has the plate on one side. 



Some other variations occur. Thus in a specimen from Jackson, N. C, 

 (No. 1021), the anterior angle of the frontal i)late is produced forwards 

 to the internasals completely separating the i)refr<)ntals. In No. 10721 

 from Washington, D. C, there is but one, a large scute, in the second 

 row of temporals, and two rows of scales are of the color of the abdo- 

 men, which contrasts strongly with that of the dorsal regions. The 

 specimen is quite intermediate between tliis species and the G. vermis. 

 In some specimens the superciliary is larger than the postocular; in 

 others the reverse is the case. 1925: 13,5: 127 + 1 + 32: 260,46""°'. 



