300 ZOOLOGY. 



Dorsal rows, 25, the central distinctly carinated. Abdominal scutellae about 203. Light yellowish brown, with a dorsal 

 and two lateral series of chocolate brown blotches. No suffusion of black in old specimens as in S. allei/haniensis. A frontal 

 brown bar and a post ocular vitta ; obsolete in old specimens. — Kennicott. 



Fort Snelling, Minnesota. 



A full grown specimen of this serpent was brought to me alive, at Lake Amelia, near Fort 

 Snelling, Minnesota. When iDrovoked it expressed its irritation by vibrating the tip of its 

 slender tail, which, when striking a crumpled dead leaf or any other small object, would pro- 

 duce a well marked rattling noise, very similar to that made by the rattle snake under the same 

 circumstances. — S. 



PITUOPHIS WILKESII, B a i r d & G i r a r d . 



Tlic Oregon Bull .Snake. 



PituophU wilkesii, B. & G. Cat. N. A. Eeptiles, I. 1853, 71.— Giraed, U. S. Expl. Exped. Herpetology, 137 ; pi. ix, 



figs. 1-7. 

 PUnuphis catenifer, B. & G. ? P. tmneclms, B. & G. ? op. cit. 



Sp. Ch. — Two pairs of post frontal plates. Dorsal scales in 29 to 31 series; the three outer series smooth. Tail about 

 a sixth of the total length. Post-ocular vitta running over the last labial to the angle of the mouth. Ground color 

 (yellowish,) with a dorsal series of sub-quadrate, and two lateral series of sub-circular blotches. 



From a large number of specimens in the Smithsonian Institution, lately examined, it appears 

 probable that the two latter names quoted as supposed species will become synonyms, in which 

 case P. catenifer will be the name of the species. The Californian specimens, on which they 

 were founded, differ chiefly in the iJroportions of the cephalic scales, and the size of their spots, 

 which are largest in catenifer. 



A specimen caught in the Yakima valley, on August 28th, differed from the description above 

 given only in the ground color, which was pale gray instead of yellowish, a tint doubtless 

 caused by the alcohol. 



This large snake, sometimes three or four feet long, is like the others of the genus commonly 

 called "Bull" and "Pine snake," quite harmless, and must destroy a great many mice, gophers, 

 and other vermin. Not found west of the coast range. — C. 



The ground color gray, sometimes tinted with brownish or yellowish. Spots broAvn, most 

 dark posteriorly, sometimes margined with black. Ground color of belly yellow; spots black. 

 Found sparingly at Puget Sound, but common at the Dalles and up Snake river to Fort Boise. 

 It is, in fact, mostly confined to the open country. The length of the adult rarely exceeds three 

 feet.— S. 



PITUOPHIS SAYI, Baird & Girard. 



Prairie Bull Snake. 



Plate XXII. 



Coluber sayi, Schlegel, (non Holbr.) — Essai Phys. Serp. Part, descr. 1837, 157. 



"Coluber nullanoleucus, var. Say." — Hael. Jour. Acad. Sc. Philad. V, 1827, 360. — Ib. Med. and Phys. Researches, 



1835, 123. 

 Piluophis sayi, B. & G. Catal. N. Am. Serpents, 1853, p. 152, (under Chluber sayi.) 



Sp. Cn. Head proportionately small, crown rounded throughout, snout very pointed. Rostral very narrow, projecting, the 



apex elongated and pointed, extending far back between the prefrontals. Verticals short, broad, nearly as wide anteriorly as 

 longr Nasals and loral large. One ante-orbital, rarely two ; three post-orbitals, rarely four. Dorsal scales shorter and more 

 rounded than in P. bellona. Ground color whitish or reddish yellow, a dorsal series of sub-quadrangular blotches, with 3 or 4 



