36 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis 
museums of both the Kansas State Agricultural College 
and Kansas University. 
Distribution in Kansas.—The distribution of this sub- 
species in Kansas is marked by several authentic records, 
all of which are in the western half of the state. Both 
P. douglassti ornatissimum and P. douglass hernandest 
are reported from Colorado, so the general range would 
probably include the entire western part of Kansas. 
Ophisaurus ventralis (Linné). 
Glass Snake,* Joint Snake, Hoop Snake, Grass Snake, 
Joint Lizard. 
Description—Head sloping gently forward, not well 
marked off from body; snout rounded; body serpenti- 
form; tail long, usually incomplete, but tapering to a 
fine point in perfect specimens; the partly regenerated 
tail often a stub or spike; ear opening small; tympanum 
concealed; no gular fold; all scales smooth; body scales 
large, except in gular region; legs absent. 
Color pattern varied; several dark longitudinal stripes 
on sides; mid-dorsal dark stripe present; wide light band 
on each side of median dorsal line; stripes not extending 
on head, but present on tail; ventral parts uniformly 
light colored; ground color for all upper parts, light to 
dark brown, never light grayish as in many eastern speci- 
mens. 
As some of the common names imply, the tail is very 
brittle. The examination of 32 Kansas specimens of 
the species has shown only thirteen or 40.62 per cent 
with tails entire, giving a percentage of 59.38 for the 
nineteen deformed specimens. The largest amount of 
*This species is almost everywhere commonly designated as a snake 
a of its superficial resemblance to that group. However, the 
sence of ear gout and the absence of transverse ventrals shows 
its lacertilian affinit 
