28 



It is not a little remarkable that this beautiful serpent, with its striking 

 colors, its great abundance and extensive range, should so long have escaped 

 the notice of naturalists. It was entirely unknown to Dr. Holbrook, the 

 author of the great work on North- American Hcrpetology, as well as to Dr. 

 Dekay, by whom it was not, of course, included in the Fauna of New- York. 

 As already stated, my first acquaintance with it was through Dr. Avert J. 

 Skilton of Troy, who showed me a living specimen in the summer of 1847. 

 I subsequently found it common on Lake Champlain, and have since seen 

 numerous specimens from all parts of the United States east of the Missouri 

 river. Associated everywhere with S. dekayi, it occurs in Texas, Louisiana, 

 Florida, &c., apparently in as great abundance as further north, where it 

 extends from Maine to Wisconsin. 



The first notice of this species was given by Dr. Storer, in the Report 

 of the Reptiles of Massachusetts, 1839, where it is described under the name 

 of Tropido7iotus occipito-inaculatus. A specimen from Lake Superior was 

 subsequently described as Coluber venustus by Dr. Hallowell. Hitherto 

 it has not formally been introduced as an inhabitant of New- York, although 

 in this State apparently reaching its maximum of abundance. 



