1901.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PIIILADELPniA. 95 



Snout black; pariehils yellow; first wide ring black, 



1. E. fulvlus. 

 Sntnit and parietaJs black; first wide ring red, 2. E. euryxanthus. 



Elaps fulvius I- 



Coluber fulvius L., Syst. Nat., Ed. XII, 381 ; Elaps faUins , E. tcnere 

 and E. tristis B. and G., I. c, 21-23; E. fulvius and E. distans 

 Cope, I. c, GSO, 681, and Rep. Nat. Mus., 1120, 1123; E. fulvius 

 (part) Boul., I. c , III, 422; E. fulvius Stej., Rep. U. 8. Nat. Mus., 

 1893, 359. 



Rostral small, not extending between the internasals, which ai'e 

 rather small; oculars 1-2; temporals 1-1 (2); upper labials 7, 

 third largest; ventrals 203-237; subcaudals 25-45. The largest 

 I have seen, measured 930 mm. (tail 70). 



There are 11-17 black rings from seven to ten scales long, and 

 the same number of red ones from 8-12 scales long ou the body; 

 the black ones are bordered before and behind by yellow rings, 

 one or two scales long; many scales in the red rings are mottled 

 with black; there are three or four black and an equal number of 

 yellow rings on the tail, but no red. Top of the head in advance 

 of the parietals is black, followed by a yellow ring extending to 

 the angle of the mouth; then a black one 5-8 scales long. Ex- 

 amples are said to be found in Florida with the black rings much 

 narrowed, and the snout red instead of black. These are referred 

 by Prof. Cope to E. distans Kenn. , the typo of which was from 

 Chihuahua. Such specimens must in any event be very rare, for 

 the Zoological Society has received more than eighty Elaps from 

 Florida, not one of which has exhibited the characters of distans. 



Hab. — South Carolina to western Texas and up the Mississippi 

 valley, occasionally to southern Ohio; northern Mexico. 



Elaps euryxanthus Kennicott. 



Proc. Acad. Phila., 1860,337; Cope, I. c, 681, and Rep. Nat. Mus., 

 1125 ; Boul., I. c, III, 415; Stej., I. c, 362. 



This little-known species closely resembles E. fulvius; the rostral 

 is produced posteriorly and extends slightly between the internasals; 

 the frontal is very small; the black of the snout extends back over 

 the parietals and is followed by a yellow ring, then by a wide red 

 one; the red rings do not show black mottling on the scales. Ven- 

 trals 215-241 ; subcaudals 21-29. 



Hab. — Central and southern Arizona; northern Mexico. 



