1 SS A new genus of Serpents^ Sfc. 



One of those that I dissected was a female : she had 140 

 abdominal plates ; and I found in her 2^ eggs, of an oval shape, 

 three quarters of an inch long, without calcareous cover. 



Sp. II. Heterodon annulatus. 



Heterodon annulatus ; annulis latis et alternatim nigris et 

 aurantiis dispositis. 



Scutis abdominalibus - - 138. 

 Scutellis subcaudalibus - - 43. 



Total length _ _ _ _ 29^ inches. 



Tail 4| 



Head 1^ in. of which the large plates occupy i^ 



The form of the dorsal scales is similar to those of the H. 

 niger. 



The general form of the H. annulatus coincides pretty much 

 with that of the H. niger, but is rather more slender. The dis- 

 position of the plates on the head, and the form of the scales 

 covering the back part of the head, are also similar to those of 

 the preceding. 



The body is regularly surrounded with black and orange 

 rings. The head is perfectly black ; and immediately behind 

 it is the first orange ring, which continues alternating with black 

 rings, till the very extremity of the tail, forming 31 orange and 

 30 black rings ; which nevertheless do not surround the whole 

 body, but run only from one side of the abdominal plates towards 

 the other. Below it is yellowish white. 



I found this reptile in Perry county, in the western district, 

 Tenn. I am not acquainted with its habits, but I suppose it 

 frequents, in preference, swampy places ; such was the place 

 where I found it. The inhabitants told me that it was not un- 

 common, they also called it Moccason. 



