54 TROPIDONOTUS DEKAYI. 
The body is elongated, but rather stout for the size of the animal, and covered 
above with carinated hexagonal scales, and with broad plates on the abdomen. 
The tail is slender, round, one-fourth the length of the body. 
Cotour. The superior surface of the head is dusky-olive, with a darker spot 
below each eye, and another at the angle of the mouth, with two oblong, nearly 
black spots on the sides of the occiput. The body above is olive-brown, and 
marked with a pale yellowish vertebral line, extending from the head to near the 
extremity of the tail, on each side of which is a double series of rounded or sub- 
quadrate black spots, the superior most distinct; and each abdominal plate has 
several minute black dots, which are so disposed as to form four series, not very 
regular, on the belly, and terminate at the tail. 
Dimenstons. Length of head, 8 lines; length of body to vent, 14 inches; leneth 
of tail beyond the vent, 34 inches: total length, 15 inches 10 lines. 
Hasitrs. The Tropidonotus Dekayi frequents meadows and places where the 
grass is of luxuriant growth, and feeds on various insects, as crickets, grass- 
hoppers, We. 
GeocrapuicaL Distrisution. This animal has a very wide range; Dr. Pickering 
found it in Massachusetts, Dr. Dekay in New York, Dr. Pitcher has seen it in 
Michigan, and Professor Green has specimens from Louisiana. 
gan, I 
GeneraL Remarxs. Dr. Pickering several years since furnished me with an 
individual of this species, which, until that time, had been very generally considered 
as the young of the Tropidonotus ordinatus or 'Tropidonotus  sirtalis, from 
which, however, it is perfectly distinct in colour, form, and in wanting a loral 
plate. Recently my friend Dr. Dekay, gave me a fine specimen of this serpent, 
with a beautiful drawing, done from life, and proposed calling it Coluber dorsalis: 
the name is appropriate enough, but has been applied to another animal by 
Fitzinger. 
