Reptiles and Anrphihinns of Illinois. 301 



Diadophis punotatns, subsp. ainahilift, Davis and Rice, Bull. 

 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., I., No. 5, 1883, p. 35; Bull. Chi- 

 cago Acad. Sci., 1883. 



Diadoph'U' punctatus; var. ainahilis. H. Garman, Mem. Mus. 

 Comp. ZooL, 1883, p. 159. 



Var. arnyi. 



Diadophis (iniiji. Kenn., Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1859, p. 

 99.— Davis and Rice, Bull. 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., I., 

 No. 5, 1883. p. 35; Bull. Chicago Acad. Sci., 1883. 



Bvtdoplds pnnctatus, var. arnyi. S. Garman, Mem. Mus. Comp. 

 Zool., 1883, pp. 72, 158. 



Small. Head depressed. Tail short. Dorsal scales smooth. 

 Rostral plate much wider than high. Frontal wide, the width 

 well maintained posteriorly. One nasal, the nostril opening in 

 its middle, or two nasals, with the nostril opening mainly in the 

 anterior plate. Two anteorbitals and two postorbitals. Supra- 

 labials seven or eight, the third and fourth or the fourth and 

 fifth beneath the eye. Supralabials eight or nine, the fifth 

 large. Dorsal scales in from fifteen to seventeen rows. Ven- 

 trals about 141-198. Subcaudals 36-59 pairs. 



Color above black or blackish brown, with a yellow band 

 across the base of the head. Beneath yellowish, with a single 

 median series or with numerous irregularly distributed spots of 

 brown or black. Supralabials dark or yellow, Tnfralabials 

 and other plates on the under side of the head uniform yellow- 

 ish or each with a small brown spot. The yellow band of the 

 base of the head varies in width from a single scale to three or 

 even four scales, and may be interrupted in the middle; it is 

 in most examples bordered before and behind with black. 



Throughout the State. Not common. Rock Island (Nat. 

 Mus.), Warsaw, Union county (Mus. N. W. Univ.). 



Variety punctatus. 



Fifteen rows of dorsal scales. Uniform yellow" below or 

 without a median longitudinal series of dark spots on the ab- 

 dominal scutellas. Ventrals 148-160. Subcaudals 36-56. 



Variety amabilis. 



Fifteen rows of dorsal scales. Yellow beneath, with 

 numerous small black spots. Ventrals 182. Subcaudals 59. 



