APPENDIX F. REPTILES. 199 



The ground-colors are black, brown, or red, crossed by lighter inter- 

 vals, generally bordered by black. 



Seven species, besides the two here described, have hitherto been 

 found in North America. 



V. Ophibolus Sati, B. &. Gr. 

 Zoology, PI. VII. 



Spec. char. — Black, each scale above with a large circular or sub- 

 circular white or yellow spot in the centre. Sometimes only transverse 

 lines of these spots across the back. 



Syn. — Herpetodryas getulus, Schl. Ess. Phys. Serp. Part, descr. II, 



1837, 198. 

 Coronella Sayi, Holbr. (non Schl.) 1ST. Amer. Herp. Ill, 1842, 99. 



PL xxii. 

 Coluber Sayi, Dekay, New York Fauna, Rept. 1842, 41. 

 Ophibolus Sayi, B. & G., Cat. N. Amer. Rept. I, 1853, 84. 



Desc. — Body, as in most of the other species of the same genus, very 

 tense and rigid, with difficulty capable of being extended after immer- 

 sion in alcohol. Vertical plate triangular, wider than long ; outer edge 

 slightly convex, an angle being faintly indicated at the junction of the 

 superciliaries and occipitals ; shorter than the occipitals, which are short, 

 longer than broad. Postfrontals large, broad ; prefrontals smaller. 

 Rostral small, not projecting, slightly wedged between prefrontals. Eye 

 yery small, orbit about as high as the labial below it ; centre of the eye 

 a little anterior to the middle of the commissure, over the junction of 

 the 3d and 4th labials. One anteorbital, vertically quadrate ; loral half 

 its height, square. Upper labials 7, increasing to the penultimate. 

 Lower labials 9 ; 4th and 5th largest. 



Scales nearly as high as long, hexagonal, truncated at each end. Dor- 

 sal rows 21, exterior rather larger, and diminishing almost imperceptibly 

 to the back, although all the scales in a single oblique row are of very 

 nearly the same shape and size. 



The scales on the back and sides are lustrous black, each one with a 

 central elliptical or subcircular spot of ivory-white, which on the sides 

 occupy nearly the whole of the scale, but are smaller towards the back, 

 where they involve one-half to one-third of the length. Beneath yel- 

 lowish white, with broad distinct blotches of black, more numerous pos- 

 teriorly. Skin between the scales brown. The plates on the top and 

 sides of the head have each a yellowish blotch ; the labials are yellow, 

 with black at their junction. 



