Hurter — Herpetology of Missouri. 187 



71. Lampropeltis calligaster Harlan. Evans' King 

 Snake. Yellow-bellied King Snake. Brown King 

 Snake. 



Coluber' calligaster, Coluber guttatus, Ophibolus evansii, Coronella 

 evansii, Coronella tigrina, Coronella calligaster, Ophibolus calli- 

 gaster, Ophibolus triangulus var. calligaster, Ablades triangulum 

 var. calligaster. 



Description. — Rostral about once and a half as broad as deep. The 

 median suture between the internasals shorter than that between the 

 prefrontals. Rostral a little longer than broad, shorter than the parie- 

 tals. Nasals two. Loral longer than deep. One pre- and two post- 

 oculars. Temporals 2-2 or 2-3. Upper labials 7 or 8, third and fourth 

 entering the eye, sixth the largest. Lower labials nine, fifth the 

 largest, the first pair meeting at the median line, four in contact with 

 the anterior chin shields, which are longer than the posterior. Snout 

 scarcely prominent. Eye rather small. Tail one-seventh of the total 

 length. Scales in 25 rows, smooth, the outer row the widest. Ventrals 

 198-215. Anal entire. Subcaudals 40 to 57 pairs. 



Color. — Above light olivaceous-brown or gray, with a dorsal series of 

 subquadrate blotches, dark brown with narrow black border, the blotches 

 two to three scales long, eight to ten wide. A smaller alternating 

 series on the sides, which often form irregular vertical bars, and a 

 third on the outer row of scales and ends of ventrals. Belly yellowish 

 with or without black blotches in the center. The top of the head 

 is sometimes very elaborately marked. Labials yellow. An elongated 

 brown blotch with black border on each side, running back from the 

 parietals to the neck. All these markings are in older specimens 

 nearly indistinct, but young specimens show the markings nicely. 

 The general aspect of the snake is very much like L. rhombomaculatus 

 of the Southeastern States, but it has 25 rows of scales instead of from 

 21 to 23. 



Size. — Total length 1180 mm.; tail 165 mm. 



Habitat. — Indiana to Minnesota, southwest to Nebraska, 

 Kansas and Texas. Missouri localities : — St. Louis, St. 

 Charles, Jefferson, Jasper, and Montgomery Counties. In 

 Illinois, Madison County. 



Habits. — Evans' King Snake lives upon small rodents, 

 frogs, lizards, and small fish. It is generally found in 

 prairies and pastures. It is oviparous. In captivity it 

 takes no food. The King Snakes are all constrictors. My 

 first specimen I received from my friend, Dr. Eugene Bri- 



