2574 



SCALED REPTILES 



great individual variation, this snake attains a length of about a yard, and differs 

 from all its congeners in the absence of a lower preocular shield on the head, and 

 the presence of eight upper labial shields, of which the fourth and fifth enter the cir- 

 cle of the eye. There are from twenty-five to twenty-seven longitudinal rows of 

 scales in the thickest part of the body, and the anal shield is divided. Of the nu- 

 merous variations, there are two which are most constant, the first being the typical 

 but rare four-lined race. In this form the ground color is brownish gray, upon 

 which are usually four black longitudinal stripes, here and there interrupted, al- 

 though these are sometimes replaced by two dark or blood-red lines. On the sides 

 are small blackish spots; the under surface of the head and fore part of the body is 



FOUR-RAYED SNAKE. 

 (One-fourth natural size.) 







either yellowish white or bright yellow, but each under shield is marked with four 

 or five irregular blackish spots, which become so large posteriorly that the whole 

 surface appears steel blue, the yellow only showing on the edges of the shields. In 

 the second variety, or leopard snake, the ground color is mahogany red, mottled on 

 the upper surface with blood-red black-edged spots, which may either be arranged 

 in two rows, or coalesce into transverse bands; on each side there is a row of 

 smaller, blackish, crescentic spots alternating with those of the back. The range 

 of this species is bounded to the west by the mountains of Southern Italy and 

 Sicily, and to the east by Asia; both varieties occurring together in most districts 

 between these limits, although in Greece and Dalmatia only the leopard snake is 

 known. 



