32 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA 



Carination and scutellation are admittedly unsatisfactory in dis- 

 tinguishing P. sayi from P. vielanoleiicus. Our black example 

 has five rows of smooth scales on the sides, and Mr. Loding in- 

 forms me that the other specimen has the same number. This, 

 while within the extreme of P. melanoleuciis comes perhaps closer 

 to the average for P. sayi. Similarly, the rostral dividing the in- 

 ternasals for only two thirds of their width rather suggests P. 

 sayi. However, the Tennessee specimens, mentioned above, are 

 practically like this black individual in carination and shape and 

 size of rostral, while definitely P. melanoleucus in pattern. It 

 therefore seems more satisfactory to assign these black speci- 

 mens provisionally to P. melanoleuaiB. 



The finding of more examples of Pituophis from these southern 

 states will be awaited with much interest. 



Following is a description of the black example from 14 miles 

 southwest of Mobile, now deposited, through the kindness of Mr. 

 Loding, in the United States National Museum (No. 62340) : 



Ventrals, 225; anal, single and entire; 57 divided caudala; up- 

 per labials, 8 on each side, lower labials 13 on the left side and 15 

 on the right; one preocular on each side; 4 postoculars on the left 

 side and probably four on the right; about 4 remporals in the first 

 row; rostral dividing the internasals for two thirds of their width; 

 maximum number of scale rows, 29, anteriorly, 27, posteriorly 21; 

 keels on dorsal scales prominent above, progressive fainter on the 

 sides, descending as low as the sixth row antex'iorly and the third 

 row posteriorly. Total length 1800 millimeters; tail length 221 

 millimeters. Sex, female. 



The coloration (by reference to Ridgway's Color Standards and 

 Nomenclature) is often as follows: Above, fuscous black; below, 

 slate color; on the head, between the parietals and the I'ostral, and 

 including the upper labials, most of the scales having in their 

 centers a development of orange-cinnamon mixed with the fuscus. 

 black; ocasionally ventral scales, except on the anterior portion of 

 the body, with flecks of perhaps an ivory yellow, or lighter, near 

 their ends; and, along the sides of the tail and near its end, on 

 most of the subcaudal scutes, some lighter coloration showing 

 faintly through the black. 



FRANK N. BLANCHARD, 



University of Michigan. 



GENUS: LEIMADOPHIS, Fitzinger. 



LELMADOPHIS FLAVILATUS (Cope) Stejneger & Barbour 



(Rhadinea, flavilata, Cope) 



Yellow-Lipped Snake 



Type locality: Fort Macon (near Beaufort) North 

 Carolina. 



