738 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



This species always possesses the internasal plates, so far as our 

 knowledge extends. The posterior geneials are always distinct, though 

 smaller than the anterior. 



The distribution of the species is in the southwestern part of the East- 

 ern region. According to Mr. Julius Hurter it is to be found near St. 

 Louis. It occupies tl)e lower ground, while the G. amoenus in the same 

 neighborhood is found in the higher ground. 



CarphopMopa vermis Kennicott. 



r, J. ^ Number 



Catalogue I fgp^^j. 



6074 



1918 



5563 



17698 



Locality. 



Fort Scott, Kansas 



Prairie Mer Rouge, Louisiana. 



St. Louis, Missouri 



Neosho, Missouri 



From whom received. 



-Lieut. Eustis, TJ. S. A . . . 



St. Louis Academy 



U. S. Fish Commission. 



Nature 

 of speci- 

 men. 



Alcoholic, 

 do. 

 do. 

 do. 



ABASTOR Gray. 



Ahastor Gray, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., 1849, p. 78. — Baird and Girard, Cat. 

 N. Ainer. Kept., Pt. 1, Serp., 1853, p. 125.— Cope, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mas., No. 32, 

 1887, p. 53.— BouLENGER, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., II, 1893, p. 289. 



Head subconical, continuous with the body. Cephalic plates nor- 

 mal. One nasal, grooved beneath the nostril. No anteorbitals. One 

 loreal together with the prefrontals constituting the orbit anteriorly. 

 Teeth equal. Pupil circular. Scales smooth. Postabdominal scutella 

 bifid. Subcaudal all bifid. Hemipenis bifurcate, each apex with a 

 moderate number of slightly serrate calyces. Spines numerous. 



The penial characters of this genus show that it belongs to the Dro- 

 micinte, near to Carphopliiojis, as I already suggested in 1895.' The 

 bifurcation of the organ distinguishes it from that genus. It resembles 

 that of Faranciain all essentials, the smaller and more numerous spines 

 offering no greater difference than that which occurs in various genera. 



This genus is represented by a single species, which inhabits the 

 southern part of the Nearctic region. It is thus characterized: 

 Scales in 19 rows; superior labials, 7; tail one-seventh of total length or shorter, 



bluish black, with 3 red stripes above; below, flesh-colored, Avith a series of 



bluish-black spots on each side A. erythrogrammus. 



ABASTOR ERYTHROGRAMMUS Daudin. 



Ahastor eryihrofframmus Gray, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., 1849, p. 78.— Baird ami 

 Girard, Cat. N. Amer. Kept., Pt. 1, Serp., 1853, p. 125.— Cope, Check-list N 

 Amer. Batr. and Eept., 1875, p. 35.— Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., li. 

 1893, p. 290. 



Coluber erythrofjrammus Vavdih, Hist. Nat. Rept., VII, 1799, p. 93, pi. Lxxxiii. 

 fig. 2.— HoLisnooK, N. Amer. Herpt., Ist ed., 1, 1836, p. 115, pi. xxii. 



Helieops crythrogrammuii Wagler, Nat. Syst. Amph., 1830, p. 170.— Holhrook, N. 

 Amer. Herpt., 2d ed., Ill, 1842, p. 107, pi. xxv. 



Homalopsia erythroijrammHS BoiE, Isis, 1827, p. 551. 



Calopisma erythrofjraiiiiniDii Dtmeril and Bibrox, Erp. G<?u., VII, 1854, p. 337. 



1 Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc., XVIII, p. 217. 



