bdb NORTH AMERICAN SNAKES COPE. 



Coluber laetus Bil. and Gird. 

 Scotophis htjtus Bd. and Gird., Cat. Serpt. N. Ainer., 185.3, ]). 77. 



Fort Smith, Arkansas (one specimen). 



Coluber emoryi Bd. and Gird. 



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



Scot02)his emoryi Bd. and Gird., Cat. Serpt. N. Amer., 1853, j). 157: Report U. S. Mex. 



Bound. Siirv., ii, 1859, PI. ii, p. 19, PI, xii. 

 Scotophis calligaster Keun., Proc. Acad. PLiila., 1859, p. 99. 

 Coluher rhinomegas Cope, Proc. Acad. Phila., 1860, p. 255. 



This is a southwestern species of the eastern region, not having been 

 yet found east of the Mississippi Eiver nor north of Kansas. Its range 

 extends at least as far south on the Mexican Plateau as the city of 

 Chihuahua, where it has been found abundantly by Edward Wilkin- 

 son. 



Coluber bairdii Yarrow. 

 Coluher hairdii Yarrow, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 17, 1880, p. 41. 



Fort Davis, northwestern Texas (one specimen). 



SPILOTES Wagler. 



Naturl. Syst. d. Atupibien, 1830, p. 179; Diimeril et Bibron, Erp. Gen., vii, 1854, p. 248 ; 



Gunther, Cat. Coluber. Snakes Brit. Mus., 1858, p. 9(j ; Cope, Bull. U. S. Nat. 



Mus., 3-2, 1887, p. 56. Georgia Bd. and Gird., Cat Serpt. N. Auier., 18.53, p. 92. 

 Compsosoma Dum. et Bibr., Erpet. Gen., Vii, 1854, p. 290. 



Teeth of equal lengths. Head plates normal ; two nasals, one loreal 

 and one preocular. Scales bifossate. Anal plate entire; subcaudal 

 scuta divided. Pupil round. 



This genus embraces the largest ground snakes of the Neotropical 

 realm, together with a number of species of smaller size of the Paleo- 

 tropical. It differs from Coluber in its entire anal plate, resembling in 

 this respect Pityophis, Epiglottophis, and Rhinechis. It approaches the 

 last named most nearly in characters, but the rostral shield has not the 

 production anteriorly and i)osteriorly seen in that genus. 



The Asiatic species have a compressed form of the body which is not 

 seen in the American forms. Some of the latter have a roof-shaped 

 body with subtriangular section {S. 2)(]eciJoiitom us), while in others (yS'. 

 corais) the bod.y is subcy lindric. The scales assume a slightly transverse 

 direction in some of the American species. But one species is found in 

 the United States, and this is a Neotropical species which ranges from 

 Brazil through Mexico and the Gulf States to the Atlantic coast. 



Spilotes corais Cuv. 



l)iini.etBibron,Erp. Gen.,vii, 1854,p.223; Gunther, Cat. Brit. Mus., 18.58, p. 98; Cope, 

 Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 32, 1887, p. 72; .Ian, Icon. Gen. Ofid., lii, 48; iv. Fig. G ; v, 

 Fig. 1. 



Coluher corais Cuvier, Mus. Paris; Schlegel, Ess. S. la. Phys. Serpens, 1842, i, p. 145, 

 and II, p. 139, PI. v. Figs. 9, 10. 



