SNAKES OF THE GENUS FITUOPHIS 81 



the patterned species of the genus. The dorsal blotches so outlined are 7 to 8 

 scales wide on the mid-dorsal line. Laterally they reach the lowest row of scales 

 and are here 3 to 4 scales wide. About six such blotches are indicated anterior 

 to the vent. In front of these a few others are suggested. 



The following scale counts are given: Scale rows 27-29-20; ventrals 

 219; caudals 58; supralabials 8; infralabials 13/14; preoculars 1; 

 postoculars 4/3 ; loreal absent. The specimen is a male. 



Range. — All the known specimens of lodingi have been collected 

 in Mobile County, Ala. Specimens have been examined from 

 Theodore, Mobile, 14 miles southwest of Mobile, and between 

 Irvington and Grand Bay. 



Additional records are as follows: 



Alabama: Mobile County, Irvington (Blanchard, MS.; Loding, 1922, p. 30); 

 Grand Bay (Loding, 1922, p. 30), Abbotts Station (Loding, 1922, p. 30); 

 Dawes (Blanchard, MS.). 



Habits and habitat. — Almost nothing has been recorded of the 

 habits of this form. One specimen (Blanchard, 1920, p. 30) "was 

 found dead on the Hall's Mill Road, in the vicinity of high sandy 

 hills near Hall's Mill Creek." 



Lodmg (1922, p. 30) describes it as "a harmless, docile, and very 

 useful species." 



Tiie following note on the habitat of lodingi is given by Blanchard 

 (1924a, p. 531): "The territory over wliich these four specimens have 

 been taken, Mr. Loding writes, consists now mostly of Satsuma 

 orange and pecan orchards, but was formerly fairly high and dry 

 pme lands." 



Affinities. — The closest affinities doubtless exist between lodingi 

 and the other subspecies of melanoleucus. Its derivation from 

 ruthveni is mdicated not only by its geographic position in regard to 

 that form, but by its scale characters. Thus it may be derived 

 readily from ruthveni by an increase in rostral length, and in propor- 

 tionate tail length, and by a decrease in dorsal scale formula. The 

 pattern may be derived from that of ruthveni by a strong intensifica- 

 tion of color, producing an almost uniform black above (except in 

 young specimens, where, although melanism is far advanced, the 

 dorsal spots are still distinguishable) and slate-gray below. Since 

 lodingi is much more specialized in coloration, as well as in dorsal 

 scale formula and proportionate tail length, than is either mel- 

 anoleucus or mugitus, it seems evident that it has arisen later than the 

 two latter forms as a separate derivative of ruthveni, and can by no 

 means be accepted as a phylogenetic intermediate between ruthveni 

 and either melanoleucus or mugitus. 



The probable relationships of lodingi and the allied forms have been 

 expressed in the diagram on page 63. 



Table 8 lists the specimens of lodingi that have been examined. 



