2^)0 Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History. 



about equal on dorsal and ventral surfaces; much smaller on 

 the sides; largest on the ventral surface of the tail. Seventy 

 scales in a row from the occipital plates to a point opposite the 

 vent. Twenty-six scales in a tranverse row midway behind 

 the fore and hind legs. Frontal plate contracted to a point 

 behind where the supraciliaries of opposite sides are but 

 slightly separated. Supraciliaries in two series, the inner of 

 four large plates, the outer of many very small ones. The 

 two transverse prefrontals separated by the frontal or touch- 

 ing at their inner angles. Internasal large. No supranasals. 

 A single nasal; no postnasals. Two loreals. Supralabials seven, 

 the sixth largest. Six infralabials. 



Color above light chestnut-brown, with a lateral dark 

 brown or black stripe extending from the snout nearly to the 

 tip of the tail, or terminating in older examples immediately 

 behind the posterior legs. The brown of the middle of the 

 back with a few serially disposed dark spots. Legs brown, 

 marked with dark brown or black above. Beneath yellowish 

 on the body; bluish on the tail. 



Length of body to vent, 1.75; tail beyond vent, 2.50. 



Southern Illinois; not common. Cave in Rock. 



This is our rarest lizard. It frequents wooded regions and 

 is found under rocks and among leaves. It is not known to 

 ascend trees. 



ORDER OPHIDIA. 



Body greatly elongated and covered with horny imbricated 

 (in a few cases granular and not imbricated) scales. Limbs 

 wanting (rudiments of hind limbs present in the boa-con- 

 strictor, pythons, and a few others). Shoulder girdle never 

 present. Eyelids and external organs of hearing wanting. 

 Mouth very dilatable, the bones of the jaws being loosely ar- 

 ticulated. No urinary bladder. Oviparous or ovoviparous. 



Because of the superstitions associated with them serpents 

 possess a peculiar interest for most people. The almost uni- 

 versal dread in which they are held has probably been ac- 

 quired in the majority of cases, having been instilled into the 

 childish mind by fancied encounters of imaginative and igno- 

 rant travelers in the tropics. Certain children, at any rate, who 



