180 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 
Tail conic, rather robust, not especially tapering, and its length 
7% in rest of body. Color in alcohol deep dusky-brown, lower 
surface scarcely if any paler. About 4o creamy-white trans- 
verse narrow bands or lines over back which bifurcate on flanks, 
bifurcations joining a similar colored spot at gastrosteges. These 
lines divide back into a series of large dark hexagons, each 
line being about half length of a scale in width. Each pale or 
whitish lateral blotch sends off similar colored bar on each lat- 
eral portion of I or more gastrosteges. Lower surface of body 
more or less speckled with whitish. Head also whitish below, 
with edges of scales dark. Some few spots and bars above of 
same color. Eye creamy. Length 39 inches. New Jersey. P. 
Doyle and B. Badger. 
Dr. Abbott says it is rare and timid about Trenton. Mr. D. 
McCadden obtained it at Cape May. I have examined examples 
from Bridgeton, Beesley’s Point (Samuel Ashmead), and Point 
Pleasant (A. P. Brown and Witmer Stone). ‘This snake though 
harmless will attack and devour other snakes, even when larger 
than itself. On one occasion an example of this species and a 
much larger example of Pituophis were confined in a small box 
by Mr. McCadden, and when examined a short time after the 
smaller king snake had succeeded in swallowing a good portion 
of his larger companion. It is said that it will even devour the 
venomous rattlesnake, which seems to have earned it the name of 
king snake. It also takes other food such as salamanders, lizards, 
frogs, toads, small birds, mammals, etc. It is said to occur usually 
in moist shady places and never climbs trees or enters the water. 
Coluber getulus Holbrook, N. Am. Herp., IV, 1840, p. 63, 
Plssnou (rel iniers). 
Coronella getula Holbrook, 1. c., Ed. 2, III, 1842, p.95, Pl. 21. 
Lampropeltis getula Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1860, 
p. 255.—Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 802.—Stone, Am. Nat., 
XL, 1906, p. 167. 
Lampropeltis doliatus triangulus (Boie). 
Differs from the next in having alternate spots entirely on the 
scales. 
