216 OPHIDIA. 



and are found along the under surface of the tail ; the upper 

 part of the head is brown, except near the crown, which is 

 nearly black ; a black oblong line runs from the eye to the 

 angle of the mouth. 



Entire length, from 3 feet 6 inches to 5 feet. 



Found by Pallas in great numbers near Perekop, and on 

 the plains of the Crimea in ditches ; and not uncommonly 

 near the Dnieper. 



Coluber Elaphis. 



Elaphis quater-radiatus, Dum. et Bib. vol. vii. p. 254. 

 Coluber Elafphis, Sciiinz, Europ. Faun. vol. ii. p. 41. 

 Natrix Elaphis, Buon. Faun. Ital. 



DESCRirxioN. — The anal plate is double ; there are two pre- 

 ocular plates ; the head is slightly enlarged near the temples; 

 snout not very prominent ; tail more slender than in the 

 last species ; in front of the eye is a furrow formed by the 

 concavity of the pre-ocular plates ; the scales of the body 

 are generally oval-lozenge-shaped ; on the fi^ont and middle 

 of the back, however, they are rather lanceolate, all very 

 distinctly keeled, the scales on the tail less so ; the scales 

 on the sides are larger than those above named, and are 

 without keels ; on the lower surface of the scale which 

 forms the extremity of the tail is an indistinct channel or 

 furrow; on the body are twenty-three or twenty-five lon- 

 gitudinal rows ; on the tail, eight rows of scales ; the gular 

 plates are three ; ventral, 200 to 207 ; according to Metaxa 

 and Miller, they are sometimes 224 ; caudal plates, sixty- 

 five to seventy-seven pairs ; maxillary teeth, 19 or 17 above, 

 21 below ; palatine, 10 ; pterygoid, 12 or 14. The general 

 colour is brownish yellow, more or less dark, lighter below, 

 with some grey spots. The most remarkable characteristics 

 are two very dark lines running along each side fi'om the 

 head to the origin of the tail, about one-third of an inch 



