1901.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PIIILADELPIIIA. 47 



part of the tenth and twelfth rows. In some specimens the body 

 color is dark chestnut. Underneath and on top of head yellow, 

 unmarked. The young in this species are spotted, the spots at 

 subsequent stages fusing into stripes. One specimen 1720 mm. long, 

 from Florida, now living in the Zoological Gardens, shows ihese 

 spots quite plainly outlined on the back, forty-one in number from 

 head to vent, with the stripes running across them. There are also 

 faint remains of lateral spots. This mixture of immature and adult 

 characters probably accounts for G. rosaceus Cope. Reaches a 

 length of 1800 mm. (tad 300). 

 Hab. — North Carolina to Florida. 



Coluber obsoletus Say. 



Long's Exp. to Rocky Mts., I, MO (1823). 



Frontal about equals the length of snout, rather broad in front; 

 anteiior temporals usually 2, but occasionally 1 or 3; posterior 

 temporals 3 (4); usually 8 upper labials, fourth and fifth in eye; 

 11 to 13 lower labials; scales in from 25 to 29 rows, from 9 to 21 

 of which are keeled; ventrals 224-258; subcaudals 75-86. 



The color ranges from black above to gray or yellowish with dark 

 spots; the lateral spots are more or less elongated ; head not dis- 

 tinctly banded in adults. Size medium to large and stout. 



Hab. — New England to the Gulf and west to the central plains. 



Three good color forms may be distinguished: 



Black above, sometimes with indistinct spots, . 1. C o. obsoletus. 

 Yellowish wnth lead-colored spots; red on sides, 



2. Co. lindheimeri. 



Gray or pale brown with brown spots, . . . 3. C. o. conjinis. 



Coluber obsoletus obsoletus Say. 



I. c, 140 ; Scotophis alleglieniensis B. and G., I. c, 73 ; O. obsoletus 

 obsoletus (part) Cope, I. c, 635, and Rep. Nat. Miis., 844; O. obso- 

 letus (part) Boul., I. c, II, 50. 



Frontal about equals or slightly exceeds the length of snout, 

 rather broad behind; temporals 2-3; 8 upper labials, fourth and 

 fifth in eye (one large specimen in the Academy's collection has 

 7, the third and fourth in eye ; in this snake the prefrontals are 

 only partially divided); lower labials 11, four or five touching the 

 anterior chin shields; 27 or 25 rows of scales, nine to seventeen 

 keeled (in adults usually fifteen or seventeen); ventrals 224-246; 

 subcaudals 75-90. 



