Number 87 June 24, 1920 



OCCASIONAL PAPERS OF THE MUSEUM OF 

 ZOOLOGY 



UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 



Ann Arbor, Michigan Published by the University 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE KING SNAKES: GENUS 

 LAMPROPELTIS FITZINGER' 



By Frank N. Blanchard 



Owing to the probability of delay in publication of a complete 

 monograph of the king snakes, which the writer now has in press, 

 it has been deemed advisable to issue in advance this brief synopsis 

 of the genus, in order to make immediately available the systematic 

 results of the work. 



In the following key the various forms have been arranged in 

 general according to their affinities, but only in so far as such 

 arrangement coincides with simplicity and convenience. A sum- 

 mary of the most useful systematic characters has been placed at 

 the end to assist in confirming identifications made by the key. 



Genus Lampropeltis Fitzinger 



Diagnosis: Maxillary teeth 12 to 20, solid, slightly increasing 



or slightly decreasing in size posteriorly, subequal or the last two 



a little enlarged; mandibular teeth decreasing in size posteriorly; 



head usually not or but slightly distinct from the neck; eye 



Contributions from the Department of Zoology, University of Michigan. 



