50 NEW-YORK FAUNA. , 



Qenm Psammophis, Holbrook. Plates of the head as in Coluber. Body excessively long and slender. 

 Scales over the tail, not imbricated. 



Obs. Under this name, Dr. Holbrook proposes to arrange a group of serpents characterized by 

 various peculiarities. 

 P.flagelliformis. (Holbrook, Vol. 1, pi. 19, Ed. prima; Vol. 4, pi. 2, Ed. secunda.) Supra-orbital 

 plate projecting over the eye. Body long and slender ; the anterior part deep black, both above 

 and below ; the middle varied with brown and white. Tail one-fourth of the length. Abdominal 

 plates, 203 ; caudal, 109. South Carolina, Florida. 



Genus'HELicops, Wagler. Head depressed, smaller than the neck. Loral plate wanting ; two poste- 

 rior, and one anterior orbital plate. Mouth inferior, ascending at the angle ; posterior tooth on 

 each side longest. Body elongated, robust, with smooth scales. 

 H. erythrogrammus. (Holbrook, Vol. 4, pi. 25.) Smooth. Bluish black, with three longitudinal 

 red lines and a series of bluish black spots on each side of the abdomen. Abdominal plates, 178; 

 caudal, 39. Length three and a half feet. Carolina. 

 H. abacurus. (Id. Vol. 4, pi. 26.) Smooth. Bluish black above; flanks with transverse bright red 

 bands. Beneath red, with somewhat regularly arranged black spots. Abdominal plates, 195 ; 

 caudal, 34. Length four feet. Carolina, Louisiana. 



Genus Rhinostoha, Wagler, partim. Posterior maxillary tooth long, cylindrical, pointed, fixed. 



Head not as large as the body. Rostral plate not carinate, but sub-acuminate. 

 R. coccinea. (Holbrook, Vol. 4, pi. 30.) Scarlet, with jet black rings in pairs, not surrounding 



the body ; the black rings separated by yellowish white spaces. Length 2-3 feet. Carolina, 



Georgia. 



Genus Pituophis, Holbrook. Head elongated, oval, four-sided; the snout prolonged. Frontal plates 

 four, in a transverse row. Rostral plate an isosceles triangle ; basis rounded and prolonged ; 

 apex pointed, and received between the anterior frontal plates. Two anterior and three posterior 

 orbital plates. Teeth rather larger in front. Scales strongly carinated. 

 P. melanoleucus. (Holbrook, Vol. 4, pi. 1.) White, with sub-rotund black or dusky blotches. Abdo- 

 men pale cream, with a series of subquadrate black blotches. Abdominal scales, 216 ; subcaudal, 

 60, bifid. Length 6-7 feet. Jersey to Florida. Will probably be found in this State. 



