032 NORTH AMERICAN SNAKES COPE. 



on auy o. tue dorsal series of scales ; and in one of G. emoryi a few dor- 

 sal rows have faint traces of keels. In a specimen of the G. obsoletus 

 (No. 5503) there are bnt sixty nrosteges, the smallest number known in 

 any other individual being seventy-four. This is abnormal. The young 

 of the G. quadrivittatus are strongly spotted, and closely resemble the 

 G. spiloides, as is also the case with the young of the G. guftatns. In the 

 young of G. emoryi, there are seldom more than two scuta in the first 

 row of temporals, the division iuto three being accomplished at a later 

 stage of growth. Tlie general result of t hese facts is that the G. spiloides 

 is the primitive type from whicli the other species have been derived, 

 some by one modification, some by another. 



Giiuther retained the LiuniBan name Coluber for this genus, as he 

 was compelled to do in view of the use of it by his predecessors, Boie 

 and Fleming. 



Coluber confinis Bd. aud Gird. 

 Scotophis confinis Bd. and Gird., Cat. Serpt. N. Aruer., 1853, p. 76. 



Mississippi. 



Coluber vulpinus Bd. and Gird. 



Cope, Check List Batr. Rept. N. Amer., 1875, p. 39. 



Scot02)his vulpinus Bd. aud Gird. Cat. Serpt. N. Amer., 1853, p. 75. 



Elaphis 7-uhriceps l>uni. Bibr. Erp. Gen. vii, 1854, p. 270. 



Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes to western New York. 



Coluber guttatus Linn. 



Syet.Nat. 1, 1766, p. 385 ; Gmel., Linn., Syst. Nat., Ed. xiii, iii, 1788, 1110 ; Daubenton, 

 Quart. Serp., p. 602; Lacep., Quadr. Ovip. Serp. ii, p. 329; Bouuaterrc, Opliiol., p. 

 19; Harlan, Jouru. Acad. Pliila., v. 1827, 363; Scbleg., Essai. Phys. Serp. 1837, p. 

 168 ; Holbrook, N. Amer. Herp. ii, 1838, p. 109, PI. xxiv, and 2d Ed. in, 1842, p. 

 65, PI. XIV ; Giiuther, Cat. Col. Snakes, Brit. Mus., 1858, p. 89 ; Cope, Check List 

 Batr. Ropt. N. Amer., 1875, p. 39; Merrem, Tentamen, 1820. 



Scotophis (juttatus Bd. and Gird., Cat. Serpt., 1853, p. 78. 



Elaphis finttahis Dum. Bibr., Erp. Geu. vii, 1854, p. 273; Garman Mem. Mus. Comp. 

 Zool. Cambr., VIII, 1883, p. 152; Jan, lean. Gen, Ofid.ii,21, vi. Fig. 1. 



Coluber voniprcssiis Merrem, Beitr., ii,l'l. 11. 



Coluher carolinianus Shaw, Zool., iii, p. 460, PI. 119. 



Cohther maculafus Latreille, Rept. iv, p. 73; Merrem, Tent.; Harlan, .Journ. Acad. 

 Phila., 1827. 300. 



Coluher panihiTtnus Mcrr., Tent. 



Coluber floridanuH Harlan, .lour. Acad. Pliil.i., 1827, 360. 



Two plates in the first row of temporals ; parietal plate longer than 

 muzzle measured from front of frontal plate. Scales in twenty-seven 

 or nine rows, only five rows of scales keeled, and these weakly. Eight 

 su[)eri()r labials, fourth and fifth entering orbit. Orbitals 1-2. Tail 

 short, the scutella not exceeding seventy-one in number; gastrosteges 

 215-35. 



