382 THE SNAKES OF FLORIDA. 



a half collar. The transition is accomplished thus : The lateral borders 

 of the dorsal spots of 0. triangulum break up, and the lateral spots be- 

 come attached to their anterior and posterior dark borders. The chev- 

 ron of the top of the head first breaks into spots, and then its posterior 

 portions unite with each other. The borders of the old dorsal spots 

 continue to the abdomen, where the remaining lateral portions finally 

 meet on the middle line, forming a black line. This breaks up and dis- 

 appears, leaving the annuli open ; and these are then completed in many 

 specimens. The general colors become more brilliant and the size 

 smaller. The head is more depressed; in immediate relation to this 

 form, the loreal plate is reduced in size, and the two temporal shields 

 of 0. triangulum are reduced to one. Every form of combination of 

 these characters can be found, which represents six species of the books 

 (in Xorth America), viz: 0. triangulum, 0. doliatus, 0. annulatus, 0. 

 gentilis, 0. amaurus, and 0. coccineus. The oldest name is the 0. dolia- 

 tus Linn. Another series of specimens resemble very closely those of 

 the subspecies coccineus ; in fact, are identical with them in color. The 

 loreal shield is, however, extinguished, and the rows of scales are re- 

 duced by one on each side. These specimens simply carry one degree 

 further the modifications already described. Yet, on account of the con- 

 stancy of these characters, I am compelled to regard these individuals 

 not only as a distinct species, but, on account of the absence of the 

 loreal plate, as belonging to another genus. This is the Calamaria 

 elapsoidea of IIol brook; the Osceola elapsoidea of Baird and Girard. 

 It affords an illustration of the principle, which I have elsewhere in- 

 sisted on, " that adjacent species of allied genera may be more alike than 

 remote species of identical generic characters," which indicates that 

 generic characters originate independently of the specific. 



The transitions above noted are not, however, without mutual correla- 

 tions. The characters are found so associated in such a great majority 

 of the specimens as to indicate the existence of subspecies, whose defi- 

 nitions are given below; exceptions to these are given under the head 

 of each subspecies. 



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



a. Dorsal spots <>r saiblles (red) open at the sides, their adjacent borders forming 

 pairs of black rings. 

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



black; lir^t black ring on nape only 0. d. coccineus. 



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



tipped; front black; first black ring complete 0. d.j>oly;o>ius. 



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

 band crossing occipital plates; front black; scales not black tipped 



0. d. occipitalis. 



aa. Dorsal saddle-spots closed at the sides. 



Saddles closed by a single black tract on the middle of the belly; no spots 



between saddles. 

 Dorsal spots not divided medially ; front black; first black ring complete 

 O.d. annulatus. 



