48 NEW-yORK FAUNA. 



Description. Body exceedingly slender, rarely exceeding half an inch in diameter ; covered 

 with small oblong hexagonal carinate scales. Head small, slightly larger than the neck. 

 Plates on the head, 2.2.3.2, smooth. Labial plates above, fifteen; twenty-one beneath. 

 The intermediate plates between the second gular pair, unequal ; the posterior broad, and 

 largest. Vertical plate narrower than in the preceding species. Eyes prominent, conspicuous. 

 Color. Above chesnut brown or bay, with three narrow bright-yellowish or white longitu- 

 dinal stripes ; the central or dorsal stripe extending to the posterior plates of the head, and 

 the lateral ones passing under the orbits, and dilated into the white of the lower jaw. Beneath 

 dull white, immaculate, verging to greenish under the tail. Lateral portions of the abdominal 

 plates dull chesnut ; lower half, as far as the fifth orbital, "and tlie inferior pnst-orbital plates, 

 white. There are two varieties which seenri to merit description : 

 Var. a. Small black and distinct dots on each side of the dorsal stripe, and along the upper 



margin of the lateral stripes. 

 Var. b. The black dots on each side of \he dorsal stripe confluent, and forming a black 



border. 



Abdominal plates,.. 155-165. Length, 12-0,- 24-0. 



Caudal plates, 110-120. Ditto of tail, 4-0- 6-0. 



This delicate and graceful little snake is far less common than the preceding. It is more 

 exclusively a southern species, although found sparingly in Massachusetts, and possibly as 

 far east as Vermont. 



We are indebted to Linneus for the first authentic account of this snake, under the name 

 of smirila. This name indicates its resemblance to a striped lizard ; for as the observer views 

 it gliding rapidly among the herbage, he is in doubt whether it is a serpent or a lizard. The 

 characters assigned by Linneus are, however, inaccurate ; partly owing to his having trusted 

 to the execrable figure of Catesby, or to altered specimens. " Scutellis 21 " is obviously a 

 misprint, which is corrected in the twelfth edition. " Virescens lineis tribus virescentibus," 

 could only have been derived from cabinet specimens, or from a badly colored plate of Catesby. 

 Catesby's notice itself is very meagre, and scarcely accurate : " Short Ribbon Snake. Slender, 

 " not much bigger than the figuje. Upper part of the body dark brown, with three parallel 

 " white lines extending the whole length of the body ; belly white." 



The Ribbon Snake, or as it is frequently called in this State, the Little Garter Snake, is 

 an exceedingly nimble animal. It climbs trees, and feeds on toads, frogs, and even the larger 

 insects. It is a gentle animal. It has been confounded with the C. richardii, Bory (An. Sc. 

 Nat. Vol. 1, p. 408, pi. 24), but is very distinct. In Ohio, according to Kirtland, it seeks the 

 most retired woods for its residence. 



(EXTRA-LIMITAL) 



L. astivus. (HoLBRooK, Vol. 4, pi. 3.) Carinate. Green above, yellowish white beneath. Abdo- 

 minal plates 160; caudal 140. Length two feet. Delaware, Maryland, Louisiana. 



