120 CALAMARIA ELAPSOIDEA. 



one lunated behind and the other but slightly so before, for the nostril. The 

 rostral plate is triangular, its basis below, and its apex above and rounded. 

 There are two posterior orbital plates, nearly of the same size, the superior being 

 but slightly the larger. There is but one anterior orbital plate, nearly a parallelo- 

 gram, with its greatest extent in the vertical direction. The upper jaw is 

 covered with seven plates, nearly quadrilateral; two of which, the third and 

 fourth, form the lower margin of the orbit of the eye. 



The nostrils are large, lateral, and placed at the junction of the two plates. 

 The eyes are small but prominent, as the superior orbital plates are not 

 projecting; the pupil is dark, the iris reddish. The neck is cylindrical, and 

 shghtly contracted. 



The body is a regular cylindroid, a little flattened on the abdomen to near the 

 tail, when it suddenly decreases in size to terminate in a small acuminate tip. 



Colour. The head is black, with a small spot on each frontal plate; a white 

 band begins at the occiput and descends to the throat, becoming broader in its 

 descent. The ground of the colour of the body is of a beautiful red, surrounded 

 by eighteen jet black rings; between each pair of rings is a narrow white one. 

 The borders of all these rings are very distinct and entire. 



Dimensions. Length of head, 5 lines; length of body, 9 inches; length of tail, 

 U inches: total length, 11 inches 2 lines. The individual here described had 170 

 abdominal plates, and 38 sub-caudal bifid plates. 



Habits. This animal is not common; I have met with but few of them, 

 consequently know nothing of its habits. It is a beautiful and harmless little 

 snake. 



Geographical Distribution, As yet I can only give South Carolina and 

 Georgia as the habitat of the Calamaria elapsoidea. 



