COLUBER EXIMIUS. “1 
is a series of ovoid dusky blotches, sometimes with irregular margins, and always 
bordered with black, and most extensive in the transverse direction, in which it 
differs from the Coluber guttatus. These blotches are sometimes so extensive 
that they give the serpent an appearance of being banded with black and white; 
alternating with these dusky bars on the flanks is a second series of sub-round 
spots, smaller and blacker than those of the back. There 1s often a third series 
lower down and still smaller. 
The abdomen is silver-white, each plate being marked with one or two black 
spots; if there is a single spot on the plate, it is oblong, quadrilateral, large, and 
placed near the centre; when there are two spots, they are regularly quadrilateral, 
and are situated near the lateral extremities of the plate. ‘These spots give to 
the whole inferior surface of the animal a beautiful tessellated appearance of 
black and white; which well merits the name of calligaster, that Harlan says was 
given by Say to the western variety of this animal, 
Dimensions. Length of head, 11 lines; length of body, 30 inches; length of tail, 
5; inches: total length, 36 inches 5 lines. In the specimen here described there 
were 198 abdominal plates, and 47 sub-caudal scales. This animal is said at 
times to exceed 4 feet in length. 
Hasrrs. The Coluber eximius is gentle in its habits, feeding on field-mice, 
various insects, &c. It approaches without fear the habitations of men, and is 
hence not uncommonly called the House Snake; it also frequents dairies and 
cellars where milk is kept; and this, from a mistaken notion of its robbing the 
dairy-women, has given rise to another name, “Milk Snake.” 
Guocrapnicat Distrisution. The range of the Coluber eximius seems to be 
confined to the northward of the 37th parallel of latitude; south of this, in the 
Atlantic states, I have never heard of its existence; its place is there supplied by 
another and closely allied species, the Coluber guttatus. North of this line it is 
however abundant; I have seen it in Maine and Rhode Island; Dr. Storer in 
