92 GEORGIA. 



Genus G E O JR Cr I A, Baird & Girard. 



Gen. Char. Vertical plate short, very broad. Superciliaries 

 broad, and the cornea scarcely visible from above. Head ratber 

 high. Outline of the top of the head very convex. Two postorbit- 

 als ; one large anteorbital. Two nasals, very short. Rostral broad, 

 low. Dorsal rows of scales perfectly smooth, in 17 rows, overlap- 

 ping or imbricated. Postabdominal seutella entire. Postfrontals 

 much larger than the prefrontals. Size of the animal very large. 

 Color black. 



This genus has a strong resemblance to Bascanion, from which it 

 differs by its stouter form, much broader vertical, one anteorbital, 

 undivided postabdomidal seutella, &c. From Ophibolus it is dis- 

 tinguished by the broader superciliaries, deeper head, much imbri- 

 cated scales, &c. 



1. Georgia Couperi, B. & G. — Postorbitals resting on tlie 4th 

 labial. Black above, dark slate beneath. No red marks evident on the 

 abdomen. 



Syn. Coluber Coupcri, Holbr. N. Amer. Herp. Ill, 1842, 75. PI. xvi. 



Vertical plate pentagonal, as broad as long. Much shorter than 

 the occipitals. Width of head greater than half its length. Eye 

 rather small, its centre above the junction of the 4th and 5th labials, 

 and anterior to the middle of the commissure. Inferior postorbital 

 resting on the 4th labial. Loral quadrangular. Labials 7 above, 

 increasing in size to the 4th ; the 5th small, triangular, and having 

 the 4th and 6th in contact above it ; 6th very large ; 7th scarcely 

 smaller. Color intense lustrous black, the bases of the scutellae 

 clouded with lead-color. Plates on the inferior surface of the head 

 ■with the centres brownish yellow. 



Specimen described belonging to the Academy of Natural Sciences. 

 Aliamaha, Ga. 184. 60. 17. 60. 11. Dr. J. E. Holbrook. 



