Allen.] 184 [December 2, 



In addition to the Ophidians above enumerated as inhabitants of 

 this State, Dr. Smith's list in Dr. Hitchcock's Geological Report for 

 1835 contains a certain ^'■Coluber striatulus." While it is somewhat 

 uncertain to what this name was intended to refer, the true C. 

 striatulus Linn., (^Haldea strlatula Bd. and Gir.), is a strictly southern 

 species, never likely to occur in Massachusetts. It seems not improb- 

 able that Dr. Smith may have applied this name to the young of 

 Tropidonotus sirtalis. Another name that has been added to the list 

 of our Ophidians, is that of that famous myth, the Scoliophis atlanti- 

 cus or " Sea Serpent." The animal that formed the basis of this sup- 

 posed species was captured, it appears, in September, 1817, near 

 Gloucester, Cape Ann, and examined, both externally and anatomi- 

 cally, by a committee of the Linna?an Society of New England, 

 especially appointed for this purpose. Their conclusions were that it 

 was not only a valid and und escribed species, but that it formed a 

 new genus; their lengthy report was accompanied by two plates, one 

 representing its external appearance, and tlie other its internal anat- 

 omy. From their description and figures it certainly bore a strong 

 resemblance to the common black snake, or Coluber constrictor of 

 LinnaBus, though unique in possessing " a row of protuberances along 

 the back, apparently formed by undulations of the spine." Competent 

 authorities have since decided it to be but a deformed specimen of 

 this species, though Dr. Storer gives the report entire in a supplement 

 to his Herpetological Keport, having, he says, long sought for the pa- 

 per in vain, for insertion in its proper connection in the Report, and 

 adds: " That this is a new and very curious animal, is acknowledged 

 by distinguished foreign naturalists." Tbe original animal examined 

 and reported upon by the committee of the Linnsean Society of New 

 England has since been rediscovered, and proved, according to Prof. 

 Wyman, " to be a black snake {Coluber constrictor) with a diseased 

 spine."^ Probably the same specimen is referred to by Dr. De Kay 

 (Nat. Hist. N. York, Vol. HI, p. 36), when he observes: "Many 

 years since I examined, in the collection of Dr. INIitchell, a large 

 snake which had been sent from Massachusetts, and had been de- 

 scribed, I know not upon what authority, as the young of the Sea 

 Serpent. Its vertebra were diseased nearly throughout the Avhole 

 extent of the column; but as it clearly belonged to this species (Colu- 

 ber constrictor) , the name of Scoliophis atlanticus must be expunged 

 from the systems." 



1 See Proc. Bost. Soc. N. H., Vol. IX, p. 245. 



