844 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



COLUBER OBSOLETUS Say. 



Coluber ohsoletus Say, in Loug's Exped. Rocky Mts., I, 1823, p. 140.— Harlan, 

 Jouru. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila., V, 1827, p. 347.— Cope, Check-list N. Amer. 

 Batr. Kept., 1875, p. 39. 



Scotophis ohaohins Kennicott, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1860, p. 330. 



Coluber allef/heniensis IIolbkook, N. Amer. Herpt., I, 1836, p. Ill, pi, xx; 2d ed., 

 Ill, 1842, p. 85, pi. XIX. 



Scotopliia allegheuiensis Baird and Girard, Cat. N. Amer. Rept., 1853, p. 73. 



Elaphis allegheniensis Allen, Proc. Best. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXII, 1868, p. 181. 



Elaphis holbrookii DumiSril aud Bibron, Erp. G6n., VII, 1854, p. 272. 



Scotophis Undheimerii Baird aud Girard, Cat. N. Amer. Rept., 1853, p. 74. 



Two plates in the first row of temporals; eight superior labial plates. 

 Parietal plate longer than, or equal to, length of muzzle from front of 

 frontal plate. Scales generally in twenty-seven rows, seventeen rows 

 keeled; tail long, scutellai not exceeding ninety-two; gastrosteges from 

 about two hundred and thirty to two hundred and forty-five. 



Black or brown above, with or without darker subquadrate spots; 

 head not banded ; belly very darkly clouded. 



This somewhat variable si^ecies is represented by two subspeciflc 

 forms, one of which shows afiflnity to the C. quadrivittatus. They differ 

 as follows: 



Spots wheu visible ou the very dark groiiu«l distinct; a row of obscure spots on each 

 side of them C. o. obsoletus. 



Ground light brown above, marked bj- square, dark-brown spots, which are con- 

 nected at the angles, forming a lougitudinal stripe; no lateral spots, but a 

 broad, dark stripe, 4-6 scales wide C. o. lemniscatiis. 



This species ranges throughout the entire Austroriparian region 

 from the Eio Grande, and the Eastern, excepting only the Hudsonian 

 district. The form C. o. lemniscatus is restricted to the Gulf States, but 

 the G. 0. ohsoletus extends as far north as Mount Tom, Massachusetts, 

 ou the Connecticut River, according to Dr. J. A. Allen. Dr. Ilolbrook 

 records it from the Highlands of the Hudson Eiver, New York. Pro- 

 fessor Verrill does not enumerate it among the species taken near 

 Norway, Maine. 



This species is not rare in the Middle States. It is, like other mem- 

 bers of the genus, of very inoffensive habits, and is useful in reducing 

 the numbers of the small Mammalia. It is much less active than the 

 Zamenis constrictor, which it resembles in nothing but color. It is 

 known as the Mountain Black Snake, or Pilot Snake. 



COLUBER OBSOLETUS OBSOLETUS = Say. 



Parietals moderate, their commissure equal in length to the frontal. 

 Orbits moderate, above the fourth and fifth labials, center about mid- 

 way between the snout and angle of the mouth. Anterior orbital 

 large, extending nearly to the outer angle of the vertical. Loreal trape- 



' For synonymy see Coluber ohsoletus, above. 



