The King Snakes 



noted, and will be found to exist to a surprising degree in a creature 

 of such moderate size. IT frightened, some specimens coil them- 

 selves into a series of compact knots until they form a spherical 

 mass; in this position they may be actually rolled about the 

 ground without relaxing their bodies. 



This species deposits from ten to twenty-four eggs, which 

 require from five to six weeks to complete the incubation. 



BOYLE'S KING SNAKE; CALIFORNIA KING SNAKE 

 Ophibolns getidus variety hoylii, (B. & G.) 



Considerably smaller and more slender than the Eastern (typi- 

 cal) snake. The scales are in 23 rows — occasionally 25. 



Colouration. — Black or brown with white or yellow cross bands, 

 which are narrow on the back and abruptly widened on the sides, 

 thence crossing the abdomen as broad blotches. From this 

 description it will be understood that the pale markings take the 

 form of rings, instead of bifurcating and joining one another on 

 the sides as do the bands on the typical form. With black speci- 

 mens possessing white bars, the pattern is very striking. 



The head is dark with the exception of the snout where the 

 plates are pale or contain pale centres; there are often a few 

 yellow dots on the temples. Both upper and lower lip plates 

 are yellow, heavily bordered with black or brown. 



The variety calijornix: As this variety is very closely allied 

 to Boyle's King Snake, it is best considered under that head. 

 The body is black or brownish. Although there is a general 

 indication of the white rings, these are much broken and inter- 

 spersed with short stripes, which run lengthwise. On some 

 specimens there is a tendency of the paler markings to unite in a 

 stripe on the back. The head is coloured like the preceding 

 variety. The abdomen may be entirely yellow or blotched 

 with black. 



Dimensions. — Both of these allied varieties are of a similar 

 length. Following are the dimensions of a specimen of Boyle's 

 King Snake, from southern California: 



Total Length 32J inches. 



Length of Tail 2f 



Greatest Diameter J 



Width of Head f " 



Length of Head. . • I " 



363 



