FAMILY COLUBERID. 37 
skin is distended ; towards the tail, however, the scales are entirely black. Beneath, the 
anterior part of the abdomen is white, clouded with brown, and the posterior part of the tail 
entirely slate color. 
Abdominal plates, ......-..--. 235 — 240. 
Caudal plates so. Ses oasces< 60 - 72. 
Length, 2: peas acevosiisisaiac 60°0 - 72°0. 
I am indebted to my friend Dr. Holbrook for the above description of this large species, 
which is found in the Highlands, but which I have never met with. It is manifestly the 
snake which has been frequently described to me, of great length and prodigious velocity, and 
to which they gave the name of Racer and Pilot. As these names are also frequently applied 
to the Black Snake, I had supposed that species to have been intended by their descriptions. 
The Pilot Black-snake appears to select in preference elevated rocky situations, for it is 
found along the Allegany mountains as far south as Virginia. It has hitherto been confounded 
with the ordinary Black Snake, but is at once distinguished from that species by the carinated 
scales. 
THE CHAIN SNAKE. 
CoLUBER GETULUS. 
PLATE X. FIG. 21.—(CABINET OF THE LYCEUM.) 
Coluber getulus. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 382. 
Chain Snake. Catessy, Carolina, pl. 52. 
La Coulewvre chainé. Daupin, Hist. Rept. Vol. 6, p. 314, pl. 77, fig. 1. 
C. getulus. Say, Am. Jour. Vol.1, p.261. Harzan, Med, & Phys. p. 122. 
Characteristics. Black. Thirty to forty narrow yellowish lines over the body and tail. Tail 
one-eighth. Length four to six feet. 
Description. Body long and slender. Head small, and covered with nine plates exclusive 
of the rostral (see figure). The occipital plates very large ; the central or vertical plate three- 
sided, or sub-pentagonal ; supra-orbital slightly enlarged behind; post-orbital small, two in 
number ; ante-orbital plates two, of which the anterior is smallest, and applied against the 
posterior nasal ; anterior nasal plate excavated behind ; rostral plate deeply notched beneath. 
Marginal plates of the upper jaw, seven on each side ; on the lower jaw, nine on each side. 
Two pair of oblong gular plates. Teeth small, subequal, curved backward. Mouth wide. 
Eyes moderate. Scales oblong, hexagonal, smooth. Tail about one-eighth of the total length, 
with uniform bifid plates ; apex corneous. 
Color. Above varying from rufous brown to black. Plates of the head, chocolate-color, 
with abbreviated dashes of yellow or whitish. Marginal plates of the jaw, dull, or yellowish 
white, bordered with dark brown. About an inch apart over the back are many narrow yel- 
lowish bands, which unite with each other on the sides near the abdominal plates ; these bands 
