158 



16) by the absence of the white chin and throat, and presence of 

 white margins to the scales and irregular blotches on ventral sur- 

 face. 



Coluber is a synonym for Callopeltis^ and in many publications 

 the scientific name of this snake is given Coluber obsoletus. Con- 

 fusion is avoided by remembering that the two scientific names are 

 synonyms or refer to the same species. 



In Pennsylvania we have two species (Nos. 12 and 13) of snakes 

 belonging to the genus Callopeltis, — Pilot Snake and Fox Snake, 

 the former of which is very common and the latter is rare. The 

 genus is to be distinguished by the bifid anal plate, by the keeled 

 dorsal scales, which are in either twentj^-flve or twenty-seven rows, 

 the snout without a keel or plate at the tip, and the ventral plates 

 over two hundred in number. The Pilot Snake differs from its 

 relative, the Fox Snake (No. 13), not only in its darker color but also 

 in having twenty-seven rows of scales instead of twenty-five, as 

 found in that species, and the ventral plates about two hundred 

 and thirty-five instead of not more than two hundred as found in No. 

 13. 



The adult of the Pilot Snake is described as follows: Lustrous 

 black, some of the scales white-edged; under parts slightly black, 

 scales on the middle of back slightly keeled but rest smooth; 

 scales in twenty-seven rows; ventral plates number about two hun- 

 dred and thirty-five, and length about fifty to seventy-five inches. 

 This snake is entirely harmless, has no poison fangs and carries 

 no venom whatever. It is found from Massachusetts to Illinois 

 and Texas and doubtless occurs in every county in Pennsylvania. 

 We have received it from thirty-six counties, scattered fairly over 

 the State, showing its distribution is general, as follows: 



Adams County Heintzelman, W. E Ortanna. 



Allegheny County Couch, Merle, Carnegie. 



Johnson, Stewart, Pittsburg. 



Armstrong County Woods, H. L Apollo. 



Bedford County Williams, S. W., Everett. 



Berks County Grimm, W. H Hamburg. 



Blair County, Tipton, J. H Tyrone. 



Cambria County IJncapher, D. H Ebensburg. 



Carbon County .Murphy, A. and E Summit Hill. 



Columbia County, Baldy, S Catawissa. 



Cumberland County Garber, S. R Entlersville. 



Hess, I. C Shiremanstown. 



Elk County Schreiber, A Dagus Mines. 



Erie County McCord , W. F Northeast. 



Ijyon , G. A Miles Grove. 



Fayette County, T^yons, W. T Cheat Haven. 



Fulton County, Hoiick, R. C McConnellsburg. 



Greene County Bucher, Prof. J. G. , Waynesburg. 



