S. Euta.inia. Sirtalis, B. & G. — Body among the stoutest of their 

 form. Olivaceous brown above the lateral stripes, sometimes nearly black, 

 beneath them greenish white ; dorsal stripe narrow, encroached upon by the 

 spot ; lateral stripes not conspicuous ; two or three rows of small indistinct 

 spots, often not perceptible, especially the lower: about 70 from head to 

 anus. 



Syn. Coluber sirtalis, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 383. — Gm. Linn. Syst. Nat. 

 ed. xiii, I, iii, 1788, 1107.— Harl. Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Pliilad. V, 1827, 

 352.— Storer Rep. Kept. Mass. 1839, 221. 



Tropidonotus bipunctatus, Schl. Ess. Physiogn. Serp. Part, descr. 1837, 320. 



Tropidonotus sirtalis, Holbr. N. Amer. Herp. Ill, 1842, 41. PI. xi. 



Tropidonotus taenia, Dekat, New Y. Fauna, Kept. 1842, 43. PI. xiii, fig. 27. 



Striped Snake. Garter Snake. 



Color above the lateral stripes dark olive, in old specimens dark 

 brown, beneath greenish white. A narrow, rather indistinct verte- 

 bral greenish yellow line. Three series of small indistinct spots on 

 each side, of about 70 from head to anus. The first series is along 

 the exterior dorsal row, the spots about two scales apart. This is 

 sometimes entirely wanting. The second series is on the 3d, 4th, 

 and 5th rows from the abdomen; the third upon the 8th and 9th. 

 In many cases the last-mentioned rows have the spots on opposite 

 sides more or less confluent, giving the appearance of a single median 

 series. These rows of spots are sometimes of a dark chestnut-brown, 

 at others nearly black, and often so blended with the olivaceous of 

 the back as to be scarcely discernible. Numerous short white lines 

 visible on stretching the skin. 



Although the 1st, 2d, and 3d exterior dorsal rows of scales are 

 colored like the abdomen, yet a lighter shade on the 2d and 3d gives 

 indication of a lateral stripe. 



The bases of the abdominal scales on each side near the outer ex- 

 tremities have a black blotch. There is also the usual double spot 

 on the occiput, not areolated. The dark spotting on the sides be- 

 longs more or less to the skin between the scales, in some cases 

 merely tinging the edges of the latter. 



