REVISION OF THE KING SNAKES. 



37. 



Variation. — ^Minor variations of pattern appear to characterize 

 certain regions of the range. Thus specimens from southern Missis- 

 sippi, Louisiana, and southeastern Texas usually show the dorsal 

 cross bands plainly, but the spaces between and the sides are promi- 

 nently spotted with rounded or oval white spots (in specimens from 

 New Orleans the spots are a pale greenish white and the ground color 

 is velvety black). 



In the area from extreme northeastern Texas to southern Kansas, 

 St. Louis, and the Mississippi River the cross bands are almost indis- 



FlG. 9.— Map showing locality records for LAMPROPELTIS OETtrLtlS HOLBROOKI. 



tinguishable; every scale has a large white or yellow spot on a ground 

 color of dark brown to bluish black (Hurter, 1911, 185), which, pro- 

 ceeding ventrally, occupies more and more of the area of the scale. 

 Often the only indication of cross bands is the asymmetrical orienta- 

 tion or atypical shape of certain of the dorsal spots, but the regu- 

 larity of their distribution indicates that they represent the original 

 bands. These spots may be unusually long and narrow and oriented 

 either lengthwise or crosswise of the scales, and, judging from recently 

 preserved specimens, they are while or pale greenish on a nearly 

 black ground color. 



