REPTILES OF MASSACHUSETTS. 227 



zontal above ; first pair of plates rather short, breadth deci- 

 dedly more than double the length ; second pair rather large, 

 oblique, posterior outer angle reaching the eyes ; central plate 

 convex, rounded ; subtri-angular, wide before and angulated 

 on the anterior middle, posterior angle acute ; posterior plates 

 a little convex, with a single scale between their tips ; eyes 

 with one scale behind, one before twice as long as the poste- 

 rior one, small plate above the eye less than half the length of 

 the central plate, and not twice as large as the posterior eye 

 plate ; teeth minute ; scales smooth, polished, somewhat opa- 

 lescent, slightly convex, rounded at the tip ; tail less than one 

 seventh the whole length ; tip rather abrupt, conic, solid, 

 acute. 



Plates, 124 : scales, 25. Total length, ten inches and three 

 tenths ; tail, one inch and two fifths. 



Var. a. dark slate color above. 



A pretty and perfectly harmless serpent. The contrast of 

 color between the lively red. sometimes rosaceous, of the infe- 

 rior surface of the body, and the brown, more or less deep, of 

 the superior surface, is very striking ; the abrupt termination 

 of the tail and the narrow head, are also distinguishing traits. 

 It is found beneath stones and prostrate logs, but not very fre- 

 quently." 



My specimen is seven inches long ; tail, one inch ; abdomi- 

 nal plates, 136 ; caudal scales, 32. 



C. eximius. Dekay. The chicken Stiake. 

 Harlan's Med. and Phys. Res, p. 123. 



This not very uncommon species, is known by the names of 

 house snake ; thunder and lightning snake ; chicken snake; milk 

 snake ; and chequered adder. It is one of our largest species, 

 measuring sometimes five feet or more in length ; and is a beau- 

 tiful snake. A specimen thirty-four inches in length, furnishes 

 the following description : Body elongated, varying very little, 



