46 NEW- YORK FAUNA. 



small carinate scales. Body above with hexagonal strongly carinate scales, slightly notched 

 behind. Tail long and slender. 



Color. Head above olive-brown ; lips yellowish. Body above olive-brown, with three lon- 

 gitudinal dusky lines ; beneath with four parallel dusky longitudinal lines. 



Abdominal plates, 143. 



Subcaudal, 70. 



Length, 25-0 -36-0. 



I have never seen this serpent in the State of New-York ; but Dr. Holbrook, whose descrip- 

 tion I have availed myself of, has observed it not only in this State, but in New-Jersey, Penn- 

 sylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Little is knovm of its habits. It is said to aifect water and 

 moist places. 



THE SMALL BROWN SNAKE. 



Tropidonotcs dekayi. 

 plate xiv. fig. 30.— (state collection.) 



Coluber dekayi. HoLBEOOK, N. Am. Herpetology, Vol. 4, p. 53, pi. 14. 



Characteristics. Reddish l^rown ; a lighter colored dorsal stripe, with a double row of small 

 blackish spots. Length 12-15 inches. 



Description. Head somewhat elongated, slightly larger than the neck. Body slender, 

 covered with small hexagonal scales, and an accessory row near the abdominal plates much 

 larger. Supra-orbital plates elongated, projecting. Nasal plates two, quadrate, subequal. 

 Frontal plates broad and pentagonal, shortest on their lower margins. Anterior orbital plate 

 single and large ; posterior two, subequal. Upper labial plates fifteen ; lower, thirteen. Anal 

 plate frequently divided. 



Color. Reddish brown, with a darker spot beneath the eye, and another at the angle of the 

 mouth ; with two oblong blackish spots on the sides of the occiput. A pale yellowish grey 

 longitudinal stripe extends from the head nearly to the extremity of the tail ; on each side of 

 this stripe is a double row of small blackish spots, alternating with each other. Beneath dull 

 yellowish tinged with green, with numerous minute black dots approaching a regular series. 



Abdominal plates, 125-135. 



Subcaudal, 35- 45. 



Total length, 10-5- 15-5. 



I observed this species many years since, and was for some time disposed to consider it as 

 the young of T. tania. Recently my friend Dr. Holbrook has examined it, and determined 

 it to be a new species. All the specimens which I have seen, were either in or near the water. 

 For the specimen figured in the plate, I am indebted to John Crumby, Esq., a zealous sports- 



