RED-BELLIED WATER SNAKE. 685 
TROPIDONOTUS ERYTHROGASTER Shaw. 
Red-bellied Water Snake. 
Coluber erythrogaster, SHaAw, HOLBROOK. 
Dropidonotus erythrogaster, HOLBROOK, DeEKay, DUMERIL and BiBRon. 
Nerodia erythrogaster, et agassizii, BAIRD and GIRARD. 
General color bluish to reddish black above, without spots or blotches; beneath 
coppery red; body attaining a great size; head large, triangular; muzzle obtuse or 
‘truncate ; vertical, occipital, temporal, and labial shields large, of the latter the sixth 
and seventh upper, and the fifth and sixth lower the largest ; vertical plate pentagonal, 
‘broadest in front, about as long as commissural line of occipitals; anteorbitals one; 
upper labials 8, lower 10; inframaxillaries large, extending to eighth lower labial; dor- 
‘gal scales in 23 rows, all carinated except the exterior in which it has become obsolete ; 
gastrosteges 150-155; urosteges 67 to 80. Length, 3 11-12 feet; head, 1{ inches; tail, 
10} inches; transverse diameter of head, 14 inches; of neck, ? inch; circumference of 
body, 7 inches. 
Habitat, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas and South. 
I have never seen T’ropidonotus erythrogaster from Ohio. Dr. Wheaton 
informs me that in the vicinity of Columbus a large serpent of this genus, 
with a coppery belly is not uncommon. It is doubtless this species, 
in which opinion I am confirmed by the fact that it has been found at 
‘Lake Erie, near Brest, Monroe county, Michigan. 
Genus HETERODON. Beauvois. 
Size large; neck and body capable of great dilatation by inhalation of air which is 
afterwards emitted witha peculiar hissing sound, hence the name Blowing Vipers; head 
short, large, triangular, resembling somewhat the venomous Crotalide ; cephalic region 
covered with large plates, of which the rostral forms a trihedral pyramid, with a promi- 
TROPIDONOTUS RHOMBIFER Hallowell. 
Holbrook’s Water Snake. 
Tropidonotus rhombifer, HALLOWELL, COPE. 
Nerodia rhombifer, et holbrookii, BarRD and GIRARD. 
General color brown, with quadrangular black blotches, about 50 in number, from head 
to end of tail; lateral transverse bars alternating with the preceding ; head elongated, 
slightly swollen at the temples; muzzle truncated ; vertical plate elongated, slightly 
notched on the sides, and its length greater than commissural line of occipital ; upper 
labials 8, lower 10; inframaxillaries reaching about to end of seventh lower labials; 
dorsal scales in 27 rows, the outer smooth ; gastrosteges 142-143 ; urosteges 63-73. Length, 
2% feet; head, 14 inches; tail, 6} inches; transverse diameter of head, 10 iines; of 
neck, 8 lines; circumference of body 3 inches. 
Habitat, Michigan, Illinois, Arkausas, and Louisiana. 
Probably not in our limits, but its range is such that it may easily extend into Ohio. 
