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COLUBRIDiE 



taking lizards, its principal food consists of mammals 

 and birds, which are killed before being devoured, 

 the Leopard Snake being, like the other members of 

 the genus Coluber^ a constrictor. 



Reproduction. — According to Werner, the eggs, two 

 to five in number, are deposited in midsummer ; 

 they are remarkably elongate : 2^ inches long, f inch 

 broad. 



13, Coluber scalaris, Schinz 

 The Ladder Snake 



Form, — Moderately slender. Snout pointed, 

 strongly projecting beyond the mouth. Tail one- 

 sixth to one-fifth of the total length. 



Head-Shields. — Rostral deeper than broad, forming 

 an acute angle above, wedged in between the inter- 

 nasals, the portion visible from above nearly as long 



as its distance 

 from the fron- 

 tal. Frontal 

 about once and 

 one-third to 

 once and a half 

 as long as broad, 

 as long as or 



shorter than its 

 F,a..6(afterSordem) ^.^^^^^^ ^^^^^ 



the end of the snout, nearly as long as the parietals. 

 Loreal longer than deep. One pre- and two or three 



