45 . MICRURUS 



terminal slit, being the lower opening of the canal, is 

 situated slightly on the outer side of the fang." 



The species of this genus are mostly rather small, retir- 

 ing in habit, living largely underground, are of rather gentle 

 and amiable temperament, and have rather small mouths 

 and fangs. They seldom are a source of danger to man, 

 although serious effects and even death have resulted from 

 their bites. 



The harmless king snakes frequently are confused with 

 the snakes of this genus, owing to the fact that both are 

 marked with rings of red, black and white or yellow. It is 

 easy to distinguish the poisonous species of this genus from 

 the harmless King Snakes by coloration alone, since the red 

 is next to the white (or yellow) rings in the poisonous snakes, 

 while in the harmless species the red is next the black. 



205. Micrurus euryxanthus (Kennicott) 

 SoNORAN Coral Snake 



Elapi euryxanthus Kennicott, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., i860, 

 P- 337 (type locality, Sonora); Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 

 i86i, p. 296; Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1866, p. 307; 

 Cope, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. i, 1875, p. 34; Coues, Surv. W. 

 looth Merid., Vol. V, 1875, p. 611; Streets, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 No. 7, 1877, p. 40; Garman, Mem. Mus. Compr. Zoo!., Cambr., 

 Vol. VIII, No. 3, 1883, pp. 107, 169; Yarrow, Bull. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., No. 24, 1883, p. 82; Cragin, Bull. Washburn Col. Laborat., 

 Vol. I, 1884, p. 8; Cope, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 32, 1887, p. 86; 

 Cope, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XIV, 1892, p. 681; Stejneger, 

 Report U. S. Nat. Mus. for 1893, 1895, p. 362, pi. 2; Boulenger, 

 Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., Vol. Ill, 1896, p. 415; Cope, Amer. Natu- 

 ralist, Vol. XXX, 1896, p. 1014; Cope, Report U. S. Nat. Mus. for 

 1898, 1900, p. 1 125; Brown, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1901, 

 p. 95; Stejneger, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XXV, 1902, p. 157; 

 RuTHVEN, Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. XXIII, 1907, p. 589; 

 Ditmars, Reptile Book, 1907, p. 401, pis. CXVII, figs. 3, 4, CXX, 

 fig. 2; Mocquard, Miss. Sci. au Mexique, Pt. Ill, Rept., 1908, 

 p. 921; Stone, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci Phila., 1911, p. 232; Van 



