Hurter — Herpetology of Missouri. 197 



longer than wide. Upper labials seven, third and fourth entering the 

 eye. Temporals 1-1 or 1-2. Nasals two, the anterior one deeper in 

 front than the posterior. Lower labials seven, fourth the largest. An- 

 terior chin shields shorter than the posterior. Head a little wider than 

 the neck, flat above. Eyes very small. Body slender and cylindrical. 

 Dorsal scales smooth, in 15 rows. Ventrals 202-236. Anal divided. 

 Subcaudals in 25-45 pairs. 



Color. — The ground color is red, with from eleven to seventeen black 

 rings of the body. These rings are from seven to ten scales long, and 

 the same number of red rings, are from eight to twelve scales long. 

 The black rings are bordered in front and behind by yellow rings, one 

 or two scales long. Nearly all the scales in the red rings are mottled 

 with black on the dorsal part. Three or four black and an equal 

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

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

 angle of the mouth, and a black ring from 5 to 8 scales long. 



Size. — Total length 930 mm.; tail 70 mm. Another specimen is 1000 

 mm. long and the tail 90 mm. 



Habitat. — The Coral Snake is found from Florida west 

 to Texas and Mexico, up the Mississippi as far north as 

 Missouri. Also in Georgia and South Carolina. So far 

 I have never had the pleasure of capturing one of these 

 snakes in Missouri. Some years ago I saw one in Dunklin 

 County and Dr. C. A. Peterson noticed one near Horners- 

 ville, Dunklin Co., but in both cases the snake escaped. 

 Dr. P. R. Hoy reports that he found it in his explorations 

 of western Missouri in 1854. (Annual Report, Smith- 

 sonian Institution, 1865). On page 433 the doctor says 

 ' ' Mr. Judson caught me a few days after we had left here 

 an Elaps fulvius (perhaps E. tenere). Is this not the 

 most northern locality in which this beautiful southern 

 serpent has been discovered?" 



Habits. — My friend, Mr. John K. Strecker, Jr., of 

 Waco, Texas, wrote me the following letter regarding the 

 habits of this snake: — "One day in May I stood on the 

 bank of a small grassy lagoon in the eastern section of 

 McLennan Co., watching a number of water snakes that 

 were either swimming around in the water or sunning 

 themselves on tufts of earth and swamp grass, which were 



