107. ABA8T0B. 289 



pupil ; no prjEocular ; loreal and prsefrontal entering the eye. Body 

 cylindrical ; scales smooth or feebly keeled, in 15 or 17 rows, without 

 apical pits ; rentrals rounded. Tail short ; subcaudals in two rows. 

 North America. 



1. Vii'ginia valerise. 



Virginia Valerias, Baird ^ Gir. Cat. N. Am. Sept. p. 127 (1853) ; 

 Jnn, Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1862, p. 24, and Icon. G&n. 12, 

 ])1. ii. fig. 5 (1865) ; Garm. N. Am. Rept. p. 98, pi. vii. fig. 8 

 (1883) ; H. Garm. Bull. Illin. Lab. iii. 1892, p. 307. 



Carphophis harpertii, Du?ii. ^ Bibr. vii. p. 135 (1854). 



Virginia harperti, Cope, Check-list N. Am. Rept. p. 85 (1875) ; 

 Garm. I. c. p. 99. 



harpertii, part., Bocourt, Miss. Sc. Mex., Rept, p. 543, pi. xxxii. 



fig. 3 (1883). 



Rostral nearly as deep as broad, visible from above ; internasals 

 much shorter than the praefrontals ; frontal longer than broad, 

 shorter than the parietals ; loreal once and a half to twice and a half 

 as long as deep; two or three postoculars; temporals 1 + 2; six 

 upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye ; four lower labials 

 in contact with the anterior chin-shields, which are as long as or 

 shorter than the posterior. Scales in 15 rows, smooth or feebly 

 keeled. Ventrals 111-128; anal divided; subcaudals 24-37. 

 Yellowish or greyish brown above, uniform or with minute black dots 

 which may form two or four longitudinal series ; dull yellow beneath. 



Total length 220 millim.; tail 40. 



United States, from Maryland and Illinois to Georgia and Texas. 



a-c. 6 (V. 112, 113 ; C. 34, Raleigh, N. Carolina. Messrs. Brimley [C.]. 

 36) & $ (V.115;C.24). 



2. Virginia elegans. 



Virginia elegans, Kennicott, Proc. Ac. Philad. 1859, p. 99 ; Jan, Arch. 

 Zool. Anat. Phys. ii. 1862, p. 24, and Icon. Gen. 12, pi. ii. fig. 6 

 (1865) ; Cope, Proc. U.S. Xat. Mus. xiv. 1892, p. 599. 



harpertii, part., Bocourt, Miss. Sc. Me.v., Rept, p. 543, pi. xxxii. 



fig. 4 (1883). 



Differs from the preceding in the narrower scales (which may 

 be feebly keeled) in 17 rows. Ventrals 135; subcaudals 31. Uni- 

 form light olivaceous brown above, dull yellowish white beneath. 



Southern Illinois, Arkansas, Texas. 



107. ABASTOR. 



Pseudoeryx, part., Fitzing. N. Class. Rept. p. 29 (1826). 



Hehcops, part., Wagler, Syst. Amph. p. 170 (1830). 



Homalopsis, part., Schleg. Phys. Serp). ii. p. 297 (1837). 



Abastor, Gray, Cat. Sn. p. 78 (1849) ; Baird ^- Gir. Cat. N. Am. 



Rept. p. 125 (1853) ; Cope, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. xiv. 1892, p. 603. 

 Calopisma, part., Dum. ^- Bibr. Erp. Gen, vii. p. 336 (1854) ; Jan, 



Arch. Zool. Anat. Phys. iii. 1865, p. 241. 



Maxillary teeth subequal, 15 to 17 ; mandibular teeth subequal. 



