The Rat Snakes or Colubers 



raised such a disturbance that the water snake slid disgustedly 

 into the stream and swam away to hunt another resting place. 

 If the serpent had been a bird-eating species, it could easily have 

 grasped the foolish parent and made a meal of her. 



The Genus Rhinechis: , Containing a single species, this 

 genus appears to stand midway between the colubers and the 

 Bull Snakes — Pituophis. Scales smooth, in 27 to 31 rows; ven- 

 tral plate entire. Snout projecting, owing to the enlarged ros- 

 iral plate. Size moderate; head rather pointed and not very 

 distinct. Body moderately stout. 



Above, the rostral plate extends backward, between the 

 two plates that follow it, as with Pituophis. 



THE SMOOTH-SCALED COLUBER 

 Rhinechis elegans, (Kenn.) 



Colouration. — Pale brown or reddish-yellow above, with a 

 central series of transverse brown spots, eight to nine scales 

 wide and edged with darker brown or black; two alternating 

 series of smaller spots on each side, the lower one indistinct; 

 abdomen immaculate white or yellow. 



A dark streak from the eye to the angle of the mouth; a 

 few dots on the forward lip plates; top of head with obscure 

 spots or bands. 



Dimensions. — A large specimen is about three and a half 

 feet long; the tail of such an example would be about six inches 

 in length. 



Distribution. — Central Texas to southern California ; north- 

 ern Mexico. 



314 



