PITUOPHIS MELANOLEUCUS. ' 9 
. 
covered with very large and broad plates. The tail is terminated by a homy 
excrescence or point. 
* 
Corour. The plates of the head above are dusky in their centre, often tinged 
with olive, and are margined with dirty-white; the lips are white, with an olive or 
dusky bar at the junction of each plate; the throat is white. 
The body and tail above are milky-white, more or less clouded, and marked 
with a vertebral series of oblong black blotches; a second series of blotches of 
similar colour and of equal length, but much more narrow, is placed on the 
flanks; the abdomen is pale cream-colour, with a regular series of sub-quadrate 
black blotches on each side near where the plates jom with the scales; these 
blotches occupy portions of two abdominal plates, and are placed in general 
opposite each other, and usually at intervals of three plates; these blotches 
become more irregular at the tail, and finally disappear altogether. 
Divenstons. Length of head, 2 inches; length of body to vent, 6 feet 2 inches; 
length of tail beyond vent, 13 inches: total length, 7 feet 3 inches; greatest 
circumference, 6 inches. ‘They however reach a greater size: I have seen one 9 
feet in length. In the specimen here described there were 216 abdominal plates 
and 60 sub-caudal bifid plates. 
Hasrrs, The Pituophis melanoleucus inhabits the pine forests along the sea 
coast, but I believe is not found far in the interior of the Atlantic states, though 
I have heard of its existence west of the Alleghanies. It feeds on rabbits, 
squirrels, birds, &ec., and is timid and “inoffensive with respect to mankind.” 
Although a large animal, it moves with great celerity, and is taken alive with 
much difficulty, as they frequently have large holes in the earth, to which they 
precipitately retreat when danger is apprehended. Bartram says, in the season 
b} 9 
of “incubation,” it makes “a terrible hiss, resembling distant thunder;” which I 
have never heard, though I am well acquainted with the animal. 
Viors V2 
