CROCODILIANS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES. 



079 



the throat to the tail. Size smaller than the N. sipedon and allied sj^e- 

 cies. ]>ase of tail 6()ini)ressed. 



This species, although restricted to the peninsula of Florida in its 

 range, presents us with four subspecies, which differ greatly in color- 

 ation. They are defined in the following table: 



Scales in 19 rows; above blackish brown, with nuiuerous closely placed cross-bands. 



N. c. compsolama. 



Scales in 21 rows ; four series of longitudinal spots above, those of the median pair 



forming two longitudinal stripes on the greater part of the length; the laterals 



forming stripes on the neck only N. c. ianiata. 



Scales in 21 rows; numerous dark cross bands, which are resolved into three rows of 

 spots. just anterior to the tail, and four longitudinal stripes on the neck. 



i\r. c. compreasicanda. 



Scales in 21 rows; sooty above, with transverse bands anteriorly N. c. ohscnra. 



Scales in 23 rows; yellowish, with narrow brown cross bauds; no postocular baud. 



N. c. walkerii. 



The yellow colors are brighter in the smaller individuals, and the 

 dark color of the inferior surfaces is darker. The ends of the gastros- 

 teges have a yellow spot, which becomes wider in older individuals, 

 reducing the extent of the dark ground to a stripe-like shade. 



NATRIX COMPRESSICAUDA COMPRESSICAUDA Kennicott. 



Natrix compressicauda compressicauda Cope, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XI, 1888, i>. 392. 

 Nerodia compressicauda Kennicott, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1860, p. 335. 

 Natrix compressicauda hiviUata Cope, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XI, 1888, p. 392. 



Body moderately stout, with subtriangular section, compressed 

 toward the tail, where it is considerably higher than broad. Head 

 elongate, rather narrow, but very deep. Plates of the crown large; 

 frontal short, very broad; 

 loreal small; three postorbi- 

 tals, upper and lower small. 

 Twenty-one rows of dorsal 

 scales, all carinated; in form 

 rather wide, those of the lirst 

 rows proportionally small. 

 (1 round color yellowish olive; 

 four black stripes on tlieneck; 

 behind tliis zigzag transverse 

 black bands, which do not 

 tai)er on the sides. Poste- 

 riorly these bands break into 

 three series of spots sym- 

 metrically arranged, not alter- 

 nating. 



r>ody ratlier stouter than 

 T. sipedon, and presenting a subtriangular form. This is more evident 

 posteriorly, where and on the tail the height is much greater than the 

 transverse diameter. The tail is very large at the base, as in 2k\ rliom- 



Fig. 255. 



Natrix compkessicauda comi'hessicauda Kennicott. 



= 1. 



Type. 



Tampa Bay, Florida 



C.it. No. 1348, U.S.N.M. 



