CliOCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



849 



COLUBER OBSOLETUS LEMNISCATUS Cope. 

 Coluber obsoletua lemniscatus Cope, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1888, p. 386. 



This subspecies agrees with the C. obsoletus obsoletus in the number 

 of its urosteges and the number of rows of scales that are keeled. It 

 presents in the typical sj)ecimen the probable anomaly of three tempo- 

 rals of the first row, like a specimen of the (J. o. obsoletus from Texas. 

 The characters which distinguish this one from the typical form are 

 exclusively those of coloration. 



The ground color above is a light brown. This is marked on the body 

 by thirty-one nearly square or longitudinally oblong dark brown spots, 

 which are, like those of half-grown individuals of the C. ouadrivittatus. 



Fig. 195. 



Coluber obsoletus lemniscatus Cope 



^1. 



Whitfield County, Georgia. 



Cat. No. 4710, U.S.N. M. 



connected at the angles by a longitudinal stripe on each side. The 

 sides are marked by a wide, brown, longitudinal band which extends 

 from the neck to the anus over a width of from four to six scales, 

 including the first on each side. Belly yellow, tessellated with square, 

 black spots, which become confused on the middle of the length, and 

 finally blend in a nearly unbroken blackish brown, which extends to 

 the end of the tail. Head brown, without markings, except a faint 

 postocular band. Superior labials, with narrow, brown borders; infe- 

 rior the same, but less distinct. Gular region uniform yellow. 



Cat. No. 4710 ; gastro.steges, 24() -f- 1 ; iimsteges. 7.") ; scales, 27 ; total length, 936 min. ; 

 tail, 218 niui. 



These specimens and another one in my private collection from Mobile, 

 Alabama, are distinctly four banded, as in the (\ <iua(lririttati(s; but 

 NAT IMI'S 98 54 



