ZOOLOGY REPTILES. 13 



existing in Psammophis moniliger. The true place for this serpent appears to be where Dumeril 

 and Bibon have placed the flagelliformis, viz: in the genus Herpetodryas. No true Psammophis 

 exists in the United States. 



LEPTOPHIS, Bell. 

 LEPTOPHIS LATERALIS, Nob. 



CHAR. Head small, rather long and slender, covered above with nine plates ; the posterior 

 frontals are larger than the anterior, passing down upon the sides of the head ; vertical, very 

 long and narrow, broader in front ; nostrils between two nasal plates ; a small quadrilateral 

 f renal ; a large antocular, its upper portion forming part of the lateral surface of the head ; 

 below it, a minute supplementary, plate intercalated between the third and fourth labials ; two 

 posterior oculars ; eye large and projecting, space between it and the nostrils grooved ; eight 

 superior labials, the fourth and fifth forming the inferior margin of the orbit ; body long and 

 slender ; tail rather long ; color brown above, with two narrow yellow vittfe, one on each side, 

 extending from the head to the root of the tail; abdomen and under surface of tail straw color, 

 immaculate ; a considerable number of -very minute black points upon the chin and throat. 

 Abdom. scuta, 196 ; sub caud., 122. 



DIMENSIONS. Length of head, 8 lines ; greatest breadth, 3 lines ; length of body, 1 foot 5 lines; 

 of tail, 5 inches 1 line ; total length, 1 foot 6 inches 2 lines ; circumference, 9 lines. 17 rows 

 of smooth scales. 



G-EN. OBS. Abundant in the neighborhood of ponds, lakes, and banks of rivers ; very timid, 

 escaping to the water for protection the moment it is approached. 



HABITAT. California. 



The first description of this serpent was published in the Proceed, of the Acad. of Nat. 

 Sciences for January, 1853. Messrs. Dumeril and son have since given the same name to a 

 species of Leptophis, from Madagascar. 



TROPIDONOTUS, Kuhl. 

 TROPIDONOTUS TRI-VITTATUS. 



CHAE. Head rather small, outline above triangular ; depressed posteriorly, cheeks tumid, 

 eyes slightly projecting, nostrils between two plates ; a quadrilateral frenal plate ; one large 

 antorbitar, two posterior orbitars ; eight superior labials on each side, the sixth the largest ; 

 neck slightly contracted, abdomen flattened, body of moderate size, covered above with nineteen 

 rows of carinated scales ; tail of moderate length, tapering to a point ; body jet black above, 

 with three narrow vittaa extending from the head to the extremity of the tail ; the lateral ones 

 become indistinct ; the dorsal vitta is orange-colored and occupies one row and a half of each 

 of the adjoining rows of scales ; abdomen and under part of tail olive-colored, immaculate ; 

 upper surface of head black. 



Abdom. scuta, 146 ; sub caud., 72. 



DIMENSIONS. Length of head, 9 lines ; greatest breadth, 6 lines ; length of body about 1 foot 

 7 inches ; of tail, 5 inches 7 lines. (Body broken.) 



