CELUTA. 129 



Genus CELUTA, Baird & Girard. 



Gen. Char. Head elongated, subelliptical, continuous with the 

 body. Cephalic plates normal. Vertical broad. Supcrciliarics very 

 small. One nasal, nostril in the middle. No auteorbital. Orbit 

 formed chiefly by the loral, which is large, and slightly by the post- 

 frontals. Scales smooth. Postabdominal seutella bifid. Subcaudals 

 divided. Unicolor. 



Differs from Brachyorrlios in having two pairs of frontals, and 

 smooth scales. 



Celuta, aiuoeiia, B. & G. — Above uniform chestnut-brown, opa- 

 lescent ; light yellow (bright salmon-color in life) beneath. Dorsal scales 

 in 13 rows. 



Syn. Coluber amasnus, Say, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. IV, 182.5, 237. 

 — Harl. Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. V, 1827, 355 ; and Med. & Phys. 

 Res. 1835, 118.— Stoker, Rep. Rept. Mass. 1839, 226. 



Calamaria avioena, Schl. Ess. Phys. Serp. Part, descr. 1837, 31. PI. i, 

 figs. 19 and 20. 



Brachyorrlios amaenus, Holbr. N. Amer. Herp. Ill, 1842, IISji PI. xxvii. 



Ground Snake ; Worm Snake. 



Head very small ; vertical plate hexagonal, nearly as broad as 

 long. Prefrontals angular, one-third the size of postfrontals, which 

 are likewise angular, and enter posteriorly into the upper portion of 

 the orbit in front. Occipitals proportionally large. Rostral broad, 

 and well developed. Nasal single, nostril in the middle of the an- 

 terior half. A large loral forming with the postfrontal the anterior 

 part of the orbit. A quadrangular and elevated postoi'bital. Super- 

 ciliaries very small and narrow. Snout protruding. Eyes circular, 

 over the commissure of the 3d and 4th labial. Upper labials 5, 5th 

 largest. Inferior labial 6, 3d largest. Temporal shields well de- 

 veloped. 



Body very glossy, subcylindrical. Tail short, tapering into a 

 point. Scales rhomboidal, broad, all perfectly smooth. Outer row 

 somewhat larger. Postabdominal seutella bifid. 



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