324 FLORIDA REPTILES AND BATRACEIANS—L(ENNBEECr. vol. xvii. 



Tlie absence of the preocular iu the type of StUosoma extenuatum, or rather its fusion 

 with the prefrontals, at first led to suggestion of even more than specitif difference, 

 but a reflection upon the fact that the ditference between the additional specimens 

 themselves is fully as large as between them and type, coupled with the otherwise 

 complete agreement with Brown's original description, soon led to the abandonment 

 of such an idea. 



The following' additional remarks are derived from tlie specimen iu 

 the U. S. National Musenm : 



Hypapophyses absent in the posterior dorsal vertebr;e ; maxillary teeth eleven, all 

 smooth, in a continuous series, the anterior and posterior ones slightly shorter than 

 the others ; pupil round ; two pairs of well-developed, long chin-shields iu contact on 

 median line; preocular rather small, square, in contact with supraocular, prefrontal, 

 second and third supralabials ; six supralabials; temporals 1 + 2, the anterior one 

 separated from postoculars by parietals which are very long; gastrosteges, 260; anal, 

 1 ; urosteges !!] -f 1. Total length, 330 mm. ; tail, 23 mm. 



Mr. Brown compares the coloration of the present species with that of Rhinocheilus 

 lecontii, while Cope" states that it "has the coloration of the type of Hypsigleua or 

 Sibon." None of these comjiarisons seem jjarticularly happy, while on the other 

 hand the similarity of StUosoma extenuatum, so far as color and pattern, both abo\'e 

 and Ijelow, is concerned, to Lampropeltis calUgaster is A'ery striking indeed. Even 

 the head markings are almost identical. 



On the whole the totality of the characters seems to ])lace this genus among the 

 coronelline snakes rather than with the calamarines, iu spite of the marked tendency 

 to a reduction of the number of head-shields by fusion, and it may be well in this 

 connection to call attention to the unusually great number of gastrosteges, viz, 

 235-260. 



LAMPEOPELTIS GETULUS (L i n n a u s). 



Eatlier common in south Florida, where it is sometimes known under 

 the name of "king snake," and is then said to kill and devour the rattle- 

 snake. Sometimes it is called "rattlesnake pilot," and is then regarded 

 as the guide of that snake ! 



My specimens have the normal number of 21 rows of scales, while 

 Cope has examined some Florida specimens with 23 rows. The colora- 

 tion varies greatly. Sometimes the yellow centers of the scales result 

 in more or less well-defined crossbands on the back and the yellow 

 color on the interspaces is less conspicuous. Sometimes there are no 

 distinct crossbands and then the snake looks brown or yellow, depend- 

 ing upon the development of the yellow centers of scales, which some- 

 times occupy nearly their entire surface. The crossbands, when pres- 

 ent, often bifurcate on the sides, embracing darker areas. In this 

 variety the crossbands and forks are narrow, becoming broader inte- 

 riorly, often as broad as the dark areas. 



Most specimens of mine from Florida have yellow centers on the scales, 

 more or less, even if they are crossbanded. A more typical L. getulus 

 black with whitish crossbands, was caught at Savannah, Ga., by Capt. 

 C. Eckman, and presented to the Upsala Museum. Lampropeltis 

 getulus is of a rather gentle disposition. When caugbt they never 



^ Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xiv, 1891, p. 595 (1892). 



