CHAIN SNAKE. 407 



France's Museum measured more than six feet in 



length. 



CHAIN SNAKE. 



Coluber Getulus. C. nigro-violaceus, fasciis angustis transversis 

 distantib'us luteis, super latera bifidis, in abdomine tessellatis. 



Blackish-violet Snake, with narrow, distant, transverse, gold- 

 coloured bands, divaricating on the sides, and tesselated on 

 the abdomen. 



Coluber Getulus. Lin. Syst. Nat. p. 382. 



Chain Snake. Catesb. Carol. 2. pi. 52. 



Abdominal scuta 215, subcaudal scales 44. 



ONE of the most elegant of the North Ameri- 

 can snakes, as well as the most singular in its 

 pattern : its general length is about three feet, and 

 its proportions nearly those of the common Eng- 

 lish Snake : the colour of the whole animal is an 

 extremely deep violet, so dark as to appear black 

 on a cursory view, while throughout the whole 

 length, from the head to the end of the tail, are 

 regularly disposed numerous, equidistant, trans- 

 verse rings or narrow bands of a bright yellow 

 colour, each dividing on the sides before it passes 

 under the abdomen, and being of an irregularly 

 angular outline, more especially on the abdomen, 

 which, in consequence, appears as if tesselated 

 with square yellow spots : the head is small, of a 

 somewhat angular shape, and covered in front, as 

 in most other innocent snakes, with large scales : 

 the tail is of moderate length, measuring about 

 a fifth part of the whole, and gradually tapers 



