COLUBER CANUS. 



extensively marked with a livid hair-brown colour; the hinder edges of the ab- 

 dominal plates semi-pellucid and shining ; the tips of the scales covering the 

 lower parts of the sides, are similar in colour to the back. Sides of the head 

 the same colour as the upper surface, the tint lighter, and each is marked 

 with two somewhat vertical stripes, one directly under the eye, the other 

 between the hinder canthus of the eye and the angle of the mouth. Eyes 

 light reddish brown. 



Variety B.— Plate XVI. 



Colour. — The back and upper portions of the sides reddish orange ; the 

 tint deeper at some parts than at others. The parts so coloured are crossed 

 with irregular broad bars of a pale brownish red colour, and these bars are 

 narrowly edged here and there with dark blackish brown ; the latter colour, 

 wherever it exists, is confined to the base of the scale, immediately external 

 to the transverse bars. The lower parts of the sides light reddish orange, 

 shaded with brownish purple red, and vertically crossed by the prolongations 

 of the brownish red bars already noticed, which as they descend become 

 lighter, and are marked towards their terminations, which are near the abdo- 

 minal plates, with an irregularly shaped spot of a lemon-yellow colour, and 

 not unfrequently with a second of blackish brown, immediately or at some 

 little distance below the light mark. The lower portions of the sides and belly 

 intermediate between sienna and lemon-yellow, and the latter is variegated by 

 many of the abdominal plates being coloured transversely with livid hair-brown. 

 Sides of head similar in colour to the belly, and each is marked with two 

 vertical stripes, disposed as described in Variety A ; eyes light reddish 

 brown. 



Young. — Plate XVII. 



Coluber Canus, Lin. Mus. Ad. Fr. i. p. 31. t. ii. fig. 1. — Sham's General Zoology, vol. iii. 

 part ii. p. 499. 



Coluber Margaritaceus, Merr. Beitr. ii. p. 42. pi. 9. — Daud. Rept. vi. p. 419. 



Colour. — Above pale yellowish brown, variegated with quadrangular spots, 

 and irregularly waved and serrated longitudinal bands of a deep orange- 

 coloured brown ; most of the spots are darkest at the margin, which is 

 umber-brown, and exterior to this colour there is generally a narrow edging 

 of pearly white. Head above light yellowish brown, variegated particularly 

 along the centre with deep orange-coloured brown. The sides of the head, 

 the lower portions of the sides of the body, and all the under parts pearly 

 white ; the sides are marked with reddish orange, or orange-brown spots in 



