1901.] ^'ATUKAL SCIKN-CES OF PHILADKLI'IIIA. 83 



Abastor erythrogrammus l>au<Iin. 



C'olabcr cri/t/irof/ramjinis Ihnu]., Hist. des. Rept., 93, PI. 83 (1303) ; 

 Abastor erythrof/ramrnus B. and G., l. c, 125; Cope, I. c, 603, and 

 Rep. Nat. Mns., 738; BouL, I. c, II, 290. 



Head scarcely larger than the body; two small mternasals; no 

 preocular, the loreal and prefrontal entering orbit; post-oculars 

 2; temporals 1-2; upper labials 7; ventrals 157-185; subcaudals 

 37-55. Length 980 mm. (tail 130). 



Bluish black above with three longitudinal red stripes; belly 

 salmon color or reddish, with a series of bluish black spots on the 

 ends of the ventrals; head dark, the plates sometimes with yellow 

 margins; labials yellow, each with a dark spot. 



Hab. — Xorth Carolina to the Gulf coast; found once in Vir- 

 ginia by Prof. Cope. 



VIRGINIA-' B.andG. 



I. c, 127 ; Cope, I. c, 599, and Eep. Nat. Mus., 1006 ; Boul., I. c, IF, 



288. 



Maxillary teeth smooth, subequal; a loreal; two iuternasals; two 

 nasals; no preocular; scales smooth, without pits, in 15-17 rows; 

 anal divided; size small; head distinct. 



Hab. — North America. 



Scales in 15 rows; 2 preoculars, 1. V. valerice. 



Scales in 17 rows; 1-3 preoculars, 2. V. elegans. 



Virginia valeriae B. and G. 



I c, 127 ; Cope, I. c, 599, and Eep. Nat. Mus., 1000 ; Boul., I. c, II, 



289. 



Head scales normal : oculars 2-2; temporals 1-2; upper labials 

 6; scales wide, in 15 rows; ventrals 115-127; subcaudals 25-37. 

 Length 280 mm. (tail 40). 



Yellowish or grayish brown, usually with small black dots form- 

 ing longitudinal lines; belly dull yellow. 



Hab. — Maryland west to the Mississippi; apparently not in 

 Texas. 



Virginia elegans Kcnnicott. 



Proc. Acad. Phila., 1859, p. 99 ; Cope, I. c, 599, and Rep. Nat. Mus., 

 1007 ; Boul., l. c, II, 289. 



Exactly like V. valerke, but the scales are narrower and in 17 

 rows and the post-oculars vary from one to three. 



'''Prof. Cope places Virginut among the genera in which the dorsal hypapo- 

 physes are continiied to the tail. This is certainly not the case iu one sp;,'ci- 

 men of V- elegans which I have examined for this character. 



