608 NORTH AMERICAN SNAKES COPE. 



Ophibolus doliatus Linn. 



Bd. and Gird., Cat. Serp. N. Amer., 1853, p. 89 ; Cope, Check ListBatr. Rept. N. Anier., 



1875, pp. 4 and 36 ; Pioc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1888, p. 381. 

 Coluber dolialits Linn., Syst. Nat., i, 17G6, 379 ; GmeL Liun. Syst. Nat. Ed,, xiii, i, ill, 



1788, 1096 ; Harlan, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sci. Pliila., v, 1827, 362. 

 Coronella doliata Holbrook, N. Amer. Herp.,iii, 1842, p. 105, PI. 24 ; Dum. and Bibr., 



Erpet. Gen., vii, p. 621 ; Giinther, Cat. Colubr. Snakes Brit. Mus., 1858, p. 41. 

 Coronella coeciiiea Scblegel, Essai s. le. Pbys. Serp., i,1837, p. 130; ii, p. 57. 



Scales in twenty-one rows, rather wide. Tail rather short, entering 

 total length six and two-thirds times. Head rather flat, little distinct. 

 Loreal soiall, longer than high; one i)reocular, two postoculars. Tem- 

 porals 2-2 (rarelj 1-2). Frontal rather wide, narrowing the supercili- 

 aries in front. Parietals rather wide, the length a little less than that 

 of frontal and prefrontals combined. Seven superior labials all higher 

 than long, except the first, the third and fourth bounding the orbit. 

 Geneials, the anterior about twice the size of the posterior. Size medium 

 to small. 



The ground color of the superior surfaces varies from ashen to bright 

 yellow, but it only appears as transverse spaces between the broad 

 reddish brown to crimson spots or saddles which cross the back. The 

 extent to which these spots preserve their outlines or surround the body 

 like rings, indicate the characters of various subspecies. The colora- 

 tion of the head varies from red or black, abruptly cut oft' posteriorly, 

 to banded with two chevrons, a brown within a yellow one, with a yel- 

 low cross band on the nose. 



The variations of this species are remarkable, and form the subject of 

 some remarks which I have made on former occasions.* 



I. No yellow band posteriorly from orbit (a yellow half collar). 



a Dorsal spots or saddles (red) open at the side, their adjacent borders forming 



pairs of black rings. 

 Interspaces between red saddles, open below ; scales not black-tipped ; front more 



or less black ; first black ring on nape only 0. <i. coccineiis. 



Interspaces between red saddles closed by black spot below; scales black 



tipped; front black; first black ring complete O. d. polyzonus. 



Interspaces not closed ; rings including first complete on belly ; first yellow baud 

 crossing occipital plates ; front black ; scales not black tipped . 0. d. conjunctus 

 a a. Dorsal saddle spots closed at the sides 

 /J. Saddles closed by a single black tract on the middle of the belly; no spots be- 

 tween saddles. 

 Dorsal spots undivided medially; front black; first black ring complete; 



(}. d. (tuniihttiis. 

 Dorsal spots divided longitudlMally by a median l>lack connection ; front 



black O. d. (jentiUs. 



ji fi. Inferior borders of saddles separate and not conllueut with each other below. 

 Saddles completed on gastrosteges ; no alternating spots; no black colhir; 



O. d. paraUdua. 

 Saddles completed on gastrosteges; spots opposite intervals forming a single 



series on the middle line of the belly 0. d. si)sj)Hi(s. 



Saddles completed above the gastrosteges ; alternating spots which do not meet 

 on the middle line of the belly 0. d. doliatus. 



* Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., i, 1875, p. 4 ; Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1888, p. 381. 



