116 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part I. 



TIIK DROWN SNAKE. 



THE SPOTTED-NECK SNAKE. 



bronzed, embracing a row of large scales, 

 whose keels form a distinct lateral line, 

 and extending down upon the abdominal 

 plates and subcaudal scales. The margin 

 of the upper jaw, the under jaw and belly 

 are white ; all the colors fainter and 

 blended towards the tail. The upper jaw 

 rnaro-ined by 15 and the under by ^l mar- 

 ginal plates ; two rows of teeth in the up- 

 per and one in the lower jaw, all small 

 and sharp. Length of the specimen be- 

 fore me ^9 inches ; to the vent 20, tail SI. 

 Head covered with 10 plates, the poste- 

 rior largest. Abdominal plates 1G5, sub- 

 caudal scales no pair. 



History. — I forwarded a specimen of 

 this snake to my friend Dr. Storer, of 

 Boston, who, in acknowledging its rccep- 

 tioB, says that it " is witliout any ques- 

 tion the sirtalis." After so decided an 

 opinion from such high authority, it may 

 be thought presumption in me to intro- 

 duce it as a different species ; but know- 

 ing it, from my own observations, to dif- 

 fer very considerably from the common 

 C. sirtalis, both in appearance- and hab- 

 its, and finding it to agree as nearly witii 

 the descriptions which 1 find of the C. 

 saurita, I have ventured to describe it 

 under that name-, that the differences be- 

 tween it and tlie sirtalis may be seen. 

 Besides diftering in form and color, and 

 in the much greater number of subcaudal 

 scales, it is far more lively and quicker 

 in all its motions, and so far as my own 

 observation extends is always found in 

 low grounds, and at no great distance 

 from water. Among hundreds of the C. 

 sirtalis which I have seen upon the high 

 lands and mountains in this state, I have 

 never met with an individual answering 

 to the description here given. Shaw 

 calls the color of the stripes of both these 

 species bluish-green, from which it is 

 probable that his descriptions were made 

 from specimens preserved in spirits, since 

 the yellow stripes in these serpents, un- 

 jder such circumstances, assume that hue. 



THE BROWN SNAKE. 



Coluber ordinatiis. — Linn.su s. 



Description. — Brownish ash or clay 



color above, lighter beneath ; a light stripe 



alonf the back from the head to the tail, 



OB each side of which is a row of black 



spots, and two rows of similar spots, but 

 much smaller, along the extremities of 

 the abdominal plates on each side, the 

 spots becoming obsolete towards the tail; 

 scales carinated, small on the back but in- 

 creasing in size towards the belly ; head 

 small, covered with ten plates of an olive 

 brown color, the two posterior, and the 

 middle one between the eyes, largest. 

 The upper jaw is margined by 14 scales, 

 and the lower by 12, besides the tip; an 

 oblique black band crosses the angle of 

 the mouth, and another a little back of it 

 on the upper part of the neck ; teeth in 

 both jaws, and two rows of hooking teeth 

 in the palate ; eyes small ; iris bright ha- 

 zel. Length of the specimen before me 

 about 15 inches; abdominal plates 130; 

 a small part of the tail broken off. 



History. — This plain and harmless 

 little snake is frequently met with, but is 

 less common than several other species. 

 I have met with only two or three indi- 

 viduals in Burlington. It feeds upon in- 

 sects. 



THE SPOTTED-NECK SNAKE. 



Coiuhcr occipito-maculatus. — Storer. 

 Description. — Color above varying in 

 the specimens before me, six in number, 

 from light ash gray and reddish brown to 

 nearly black ; belly from a light brick red 

 to a very dark cojiper color ; three fulvous 

 spots on the neck, one at the occiput 

 above, and one below, on each side ; in 

 some of the specimens a row of blackish 

 scales, usually slightly marked with white 

 on each side of the dorsal line, and an- 

 other row at the commencement of the 

 abdominal plates ; in others the color 

 above is uniform; 12 plates margin the 

 upper jaw besides the one at the snout ; 

 snout and under jaw yellowish white, and 

 a white spot at the angle of the mouth ; 

 throat grayish, gradually passing into red 

 on the abdomen ; width of the head equal 

 to that of the body; neck small, body 

 gradually enlarges from the neck to near 

 tlie vent, where it is largest ; tail short 

 and sharply pointed, contained 4^ times 

 in the total length ; iris reddish hazel. 

 Length of the longest specimen 9.9 inch- 

 es, tail 2.2, with 119 abdominal plates and 

 45 pairs of subcaudal scales ; another 



