14 U. S. p. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS ROUTE IN CALIFORNIA. 



Gen. Obs. — Resembles Tropidonotus concinrius but wants the orange-colored spots and the 

 lateral vittiu. Very abundant about ponds, and on the banks of the Cosumnes and other rivers 

 in California. On being approached, quickly dives to tlie bottom of the stream, or makes its 

 appearance on the opposite side, keeping its head above water. One of the most common 

 snakes in California. 



CORONELLA, Laurenti. 



CORONELLA BALTEATA. 



Chak. — Head small and stout, outline ovoid, depressed above, covered with nine plates ; eyes 

 projecting, internasals smaller than prefrontals ; nostrils between two plates ; a small frenal ; 

 one large antocular, two posterior oculars, seven superior labials on each side, the eye resting 

 on the third and fourth ; neck contracted, body slender, cylindrical, thicker near the middle ; 

 tail rather short, and tapering gradually to a point ; twenty-three rows of smooth hexagonal 

 scales ; a series of about thirty narrow yellowish white fascias, alternating with as many dark 

 colored blotches, which are continuous with similarly colored markings upon the abdomen ; the 

 dark colored blotches occupy from five to seven rows of scales, the transverse yellow fascia3 one 

 and a half rows ; a dark colored blotch upon the head and anterior part of the neck, commencing 

 at the posterior margin of the prefrontals ; three small yellow spots, one at the posterior margin 

 of each occipital, the third larger and about a line apart from the others ; the plates which 

 cover the muzzle, anterior and posterior oculars, and labials, yellow, margined with black ; 

 chin, throat, and interspaces upon abdomen and under part of tail between the dark colored 

 markings, yellowish ; the markings of the tail resemble those upon the body, but have the form 

 of bands, the black spots being somewhat more regularly disposed. 



Abdom. scuta, 234 ; sub caud., 51. 



Dimensions. — Length of head, 9 lines ; greatest breadth, 5^ ; length of body, 1 foot T inches 

 3 lines ; length of tail, 2 inches 9 lines ; total length, 1 foot 10 inches 9 lines ; greatest circum- 

 ference, 1 inch G lines. 



Dimensions op a larger specimen. — Length of head, 8 lines ; greatest breadth, 6^ ; length of 

 body, 2 feet 4 inches ; of tail, 4 inches 4^ lines ; total length, 2 feet 9 inches ; circumference, 

 2 inches 3 lines. 



Abdom. scuta, 225 ; sub caud., 57. 



Gen. Obs. — Found in valleys and open prairies ; grows to a much larger size than either of 

 the specimens, (4 feet in length ;) very abundant, often killed by travellers, and found lying on 

 the roadside ; disposition timid, always endeavoring to escape its pursuers. 



PITYOPHIS, nolbrook. 

 PITYOPHIS VERTEBRALIS. 



Syn. — Coluber vertehralis, Blainville. Nouvelles Annales du Musee, T. IV, p. 293, (pi. 27, 



fig. 2.) 



Coluber catenifer? Blainville. Nouvelles Annales du Musee, T. IV, p. 290, (pi. 26, fig. 2.) 

 Pityophis Heermanni. — Proceed. Acad. Nat. Sciences, January, 1853, p. 236. 



