No. 50.] 121 



Genus CELUTA, Baird & Girard. 



Gen. Char. Head elongated, subelliptical, continuous with the body. 

 Cephalic plates normal : vertical broad. Superciliaries very small. One 

 nasal : nostril in the middle. No anteorbital. Orbit formed chiefly by 

 the loral, which is large, and slightly by the postfrontals. Scales smooth. 

 Postabdominal scutellae bifid : subcaudals divided. Unicolor. 



Differs from Brachyorrhos in having two pairs of frontals, and smooth scales. 



Syn. Celuta, B. & G. 1. c. 1853, 129. 



15. Celtjta am(ENA, B. ^ G. — Wormsnake. 



Spkc. Char. Above uniform chestnut -brown, opalescent j light yellow (bright 

 salmon-color in life) beneath. Dorsal scales in 13 rows. 128-fl, 30, 13, llf, 

 l|(Penn.). 



STNONTMS. 



Coluber amanus, Sat, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. lY. 1825, 237. — Hael. 

 Journ. Acad. Nat. Sc. Philad. V. 1827, 355; and Med. & Phys. Res. 1835, 118. 



— Storek, Rep. Rept. Mass. 1839, 226. 



Calamaria ammna, Schl. Ess. Phys. Serp. Part, descr. 1837, 31, pi. i. f. 19 & 20. 



— Dekat, N.Y. Fauna, III. 1842, 49. 



Brachyorrhos amoRnus, Holbe. N. Amer. Herp. III. 1842, 115, pi. xxvii. 

 Celuta amana, B. & G. 1. c. 1853, 129. 



This curious species resembles in general shape and exterior a large earth- 

 worm, more than any other of our serpents. The glistening exterior, the blunt 

 tail, the head smaller than the body, and the reddish color, aU tend to heigh- 

 ten the similarity. It is found under dry logs and stones, particularly in 

 mountainous regions, rarely being seen abroad. It is sparingly distributed 

 throughout the United States east of the Missouri. 



