61 



logue, and could not, from his observation, sanction the large 

 number of species mentioned in that work. He gave for an 

 example the genus Eutmnia^ B. and G., to which our striped 

 snake belongs ; of this genus he had examined many hun- 

 dred specimens, and had found several of the so-called 

 species running into each other to such an extent, that it 

 was impossible, upon any natural grounds, to consider them 

 as distinct species. He was, therefore, inclined to the opin- 

 ion that not more than one-third to one-half of the so-called 

 species oi Eutmnia could be retained. Of the two oldest 

 forms. Coluber ordinatus Linn, and C. sirtalis Linn., he 

 had examined a very large number of specimens from all 

 parts of our country comprised in the Atlantic slope, and he 

 had found every stage of color and markings, from the 

 greenish, checkered specimens of the South, through the 

 dark, yellow-striped ones of the Middle States, to the red- 

 checked ones of the North ; and he considered them all as 

 belonging to one species, for which the sjDecific name of 

 ordinatus should be retained ; and if it should prove that 

 EuT^NiA is a synonym of Teopidonottjs, the species would 

 stand thus : — 



Tropidonotus ordinatus, Holbr. 



Synonyms. — Vipera gracilis maculatus, Catesh. 



Vipera viridis maculatus, Catesh. 



Coluber ordinatus, Linn. 



Coluber sirtalis, Linn. 



Tropidonotus bipunctatus, Sclil. 



Tropidonotus tenia, Dehay. 



Tropidonotus ordinatus, Holbr. 



Tropidonotus sirtalis, Holbr. 



Eutfenia ordinata, B. Sf G. 



Eutjenia sirtalis, B. Sf G. 

 ? Coluber parietalis, Sayi 

 ? Eutaenia parietalis, B. Sf G. 

 V Eutasnia radix, B. ^ G. 

 ? Euta3nia dorsalis, B. §■ G. 

 ? Eutaenia Haydenii, Kenn. 



We have in ISTew England another well-marked species of 

 striped snake belonging to this genus, the Coluber saurita 

 Linn., to which I should refer as synonyms the Eutcenia 



