68 COLUBER GUTTATUS. 
himself supposes he is describing the Corn-snake, as he refers to Plate ly. of 
Catesby, and says they are common in Carolina and Virginia. 
Latreille, at the end of his description of the Coluber molossus, gives an account 
of a serpent brought from Carolina by Bosc, which he thinks is closely allied to 
the Coluber guttatus; with which it is indeed identical, as may easily be seen by 
referring to his description; but to increase the stock of names, he calls it “la 
Couleuvre cannellée.” 
It is not a little singular that Bosc, who says he furnished this animal for 
Latreille, should have confounded it with the Hog Nose, to which it bears not the 
slightest resemblance. It can only be accounted for by supposing that some other 
serpent fell by accident into Latreille’s hands instead of the one intended; for 
there cannot be the least doubt that his description refers to the Coluber guttatus 
—a more correct one cannot be given; nor does it contain the slightest hint by 
which we can suppose that any Heterodon is meant. 
There can be no doubt that the Coluber molossus of Daudin is the Coluber 
guttatus of Linneus, from the number of its plates, disposition of its colours, We.; 
especially as he says Bose found it in Carolina, adding that it resembles the Boa 
constrictor. 
Merrem, generally very accurate, overlooked the Coluber guttatus of Linneus, 
and described the same animal as a new species, under the name Coluber pan- 
therinus. Of this, one may easily be satisfied by a reference to his description, 
which is full and minute, but especially by looking at the figure accompanying its 
which is excellent; the colour only is faulty, being evidently taken from an animal 
preserved in alcohol. ‘The Coluber Floridanus is only another name for the same 
animal, as Dr. Pickering pointed out to me, in the Museum of the Academy of 
Natural Sciences, the specimen which has added this synonyme, and though much 
bleached, it is clearly identical with the Coluber guttatus. 
