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Tl. NON-VENOMOUS SERPENTS. 
1.—Non-Venomous Serpents, with sub-caudal bifid plates or scutella. 
Famiy. COLUBEROIDEA. 
CHARACTERS. 
The individuals of this family have all the general and particular characters 
given above, as appertaining to the order Ophidia, and family Serpentes, or true 
Serpents;—as superior, maxillary, and palate bones armed with teeth disposed in 
four rows; jaws dilatable, Wc. &c. And in addition to these— 
1. The head is covered with plates. 
2. The body is much elongated, covered above with scales, and with plates 
below. 
3. The tail is in general very long, with bifid plates below, or scutella, as they 
are frequently termed. 
4, There is no hook near the vent, nor any rudiment of posterior extremities, as 
in Boa and other non-venomous serpents. 
Remarks. The members of this family are exceedingly numerous, and though 
they differ from each other in several respects, yet they have so many characters 
