LEPTOPHIS SAURITUS. 93 
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certain light appears to be brown, often tinged with olive, and marked with three 
longitudinal lines. The vertebral one begins between the occipital plates, is of pale 
greenish-yellow, and becomes obsolete an inch or two from the tail; this line 
occupies the vertebral scale, and the half of one scale on each side, and has a 
straight border throughout its whole extent. The lateral lines or bands are 
broader, more or less distinct, including two scales or more, with margins less 
regular; they are of dirty yellowish-white, tinged with green; on each side of 
these lines are dusky or black small rhomboidal spots, sometimes arranged in a 
row. The abdomen is shining milky white, with a tinge of green. The tail is 
coloured like the body, but the lateral lines only continue for a short distance 
behind the vent. 
Dimensions. Length of head 10 lines; length of body, 23 inches; length of tail, 
12 inches: total length, 35 inches 10 lines. This animal at times reaches the 
length of nearly four feet; in general, however, they are found between two and 
three feet long. In the specimen here described, there were 165 abdominal plates, 
and 117 sub-caudal scales; but this number is by no means constant, as I have 
seen by comparing several animals—among others the following, now in the 
Museum of the Academy of Natural Sciences at Philadelphia: 
1. A specimen from Missouri, given by Mr. Eckhart: abominal plates, 156; 
sub-caudal scales, 121.—2. One from Pennsylvania, by Dr. Allison: abdominal 
plates, 150; sub-caudal scales, 112.—3. One from Delaware, by Dr. Green: 
abdominal plates, 156; sub-caudal scales, 93; tail imperfect—4. One from Key 
West: abdominal plates, 160; sub-caudal scales, 125.—5. One from South 
Carolina: abdominal plates, 147; sub-caudal scaies, 117. 
GrocrarnicaL Disrrisution. The Leptophis sauritus has a widge range. I 
have seen it in most of the states from Maine to Georgia; and have received 
specimens from Louisiana, Arkansas and the far west; and, if I am correct in 
supposing this animal identical with the Coluber proximus of Say, which I doubt 
not, then does it reach the very foot of the Rocky Mountains. It only differs 
