COLUBER TRABALIS. 229 



yellow longitudinal lines, interrupted at fii'st, but towards 

 the tail continuous ; the lower parts are yellow, with a 

 black or red-brown mark and line on the extremities of 

 each plate. The young may always be known by the 

 yellow patterns on the head, but they are without the 

 yellow marks on the rest of the body, and sometimes 

 have small, indistinct, transverse bands of a brown tinge. 

 Deep brown and perfectly black varieties have been met 

 with in Sicily and Egypt. Lives in woods in cultivated 

 districts. 



Entire length, up to 4 feet, oftener 3 feet 6 inches. 



One of the most common species of the South of Europe. 

 Inhabits the South of France, especially near the Py- 

 renees, Burgundy, the Department of the Moselle, on the 

 banks of the Ome, and near Dinant ; and, according to 

 MM. Dumeril and Bibron, the province of Brittany. Very 

 common near Eome, where it is the most abundant 

 species ; and is found in many other parts of Italy, and 

 in the Morea. In Switzeland, only in the Cantons of Ti- 

 cino and Yallais, where it is rare. Appears in the list of 

 reptiles found in the Bukovina. 



Coluber trabalis. 



Zamenis trabalis, Dum. et Bib. vol. vii. p. 689. 

 Coluber trabalis, Pallas, Zoog. Ross. As. vol. iii. p. 42. 

 Sheltopus of the Russians. 



Desceiption. — On the palate are two ridges furnished with 

 teeth ; one row of simple teeth on the jaw, projecting but 

 slightly above the gums ; the tongue is black, and very 

 long ; the rostral plate vaulted ; the upper pre-ocular plate 

 much larger than the lower one ; there are two post- 

 ocular plates ; on the upper lip, on each side, are eight 

 labial plates, of which the fourth and fifth touch the eye ; 

 dorsal scales oblong, somewhat convex, not keeled, those 



