46 NEW-YORK FAUNA. 
small carinate scales. Body above with hexagonal strongly carinate scales, slightly notched 
behind. Tail long and slender. 
Color. Head above olive-brown ; lips yellowish. Body above olive-brown, with three lon- 
gitudinal dusky lines ; beneath with four parallel dusky longitudinal lines. 
‘Albdominallplates}s= 5. eaito esac ee 143. 
Ub Canal) se ayer se Selemiomecnioee 70. 
Ment thy oe -..si ec bejcinaeem oe 25°0 - 36:0. 
I have never seen this serpent in the State of New-York ; but Dr. Holbrook, whose deserip- 
tion I have availed myself of, has observed it not only in this State, but in New-Jersey, Penn- 
sylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Little is known of its habits. It is said to affect water and 
moist places. 
THE SMALL BROWN SNAKE. 
TROPIDONOTUS DEKAYI. 
PLATE XIV. FIG. 30.—(STATE COLLECTION.) 
Coluber dekayi. Hotproox, N. Am. Herpetology, Vol. 4, p. 53, pl. 14. 
Characteristics. Reddish brown ; a lighter colored dorsal stripe, with a double row of small 
blackish spots. Length 12 - 15 inches. 
Description. Head somewhat elongated, slightly larger than the neck. Body slender, 
covered with small hexagonal scales, and an accessory row near the abdominal plates much 
larger. Supra-orbital plates elongated, projecting. Nasal platés two, quadrate, subequal. 
Frontal plates broad and pentagonal, shortest on their lower margins. Anterior orbital plate 
single and large ; posterior two, subequal. Upper labial plates fifteen ; lower, thirteen. Anal 
plate frequently divided. 
Color. Reddish brown, with a darker spot beneath the eye, and another at the angle of the 
mouth ; with two oblong blackish spots on the sides of the occiput. A pale yellowish grey 
longitudinal stripe extends from the head nearly to the extremity of the tail; on each side of 
this stripe is a double row of small blackish spots, alternating with each other. Beneath dull 
yellowish tinged with green, with numerous minute black dots approaching a regular series. 
Abdominal plates, .-.......--- 125 - 135. 
Subcaudal’ fae see eens 85 — 45. 
Wotal-lensthy sseeeee-sseeee 10°5 —- 15°5. 
I observed this species many years since, and was for some time disposed to consider it as 
the young of T. tania. Recently my friend Dr. Holbrook has examined it, and determined 
it to be anew species. All the specimens which I have seen, were either in or near the water. 
For the specimen figured in the plate, I am indebted to John Crumby, Esq., a zealous sports- 
