..« 



120 COLUBER ABACURUS. 



whole superior surface of the back and tail is black; the sides are marked with 

 about sixty transverse bands of bright red; these bands are sometimes continued 

 across the abdomen, sometimes they are interrupted midway; and as they often 

 terminate suddenly and have well defined margins, these spaces contrasting with 

 the deep black of the other portions, give a tesselated appearance to the inferior 

 surface of the body; this is most striking at the tail, where it resembles in no 

 slight degree the ornamental borders found on the walls of Pompeii. 



DiJiENsioNs. Length of the head, li inches; breadth of the head, ItV inches; 

 length of the head and body, 48 inches; tail, 5 inches; circumference, 3j inches; 

 total length, 4 feet 5 inches. 



Geographical Distribution. I have seen this animal only in South Carolina; 

 but Professor Green, of Philadelphia, has received it from the Mississippi, in the 

 vicinity of New Orleans. 



Habits. This Serpent is similar in its habits to the C. erythrogrammus; it is rare 

 and shy, consequently little can be observed of it, except that it is altogether a 

 land animal. 



General Remarks. The C. abacurus is evidently very closely related to the 

 preceding; both will probably be separated from Coluber when their anatomical 

 characters shall be properly examined: the small size of the head, mouth and eyes, 

 the superior position of the latter and of the nostrils, the absence of anterior 

 orbital plates, and their subterranean mode of life, are striking characters. The 

 C. erythrogrammus has been referred by Wagler to his genus Helicops, and indeed 

 presents considerable analogy, even to the disposition of its colours, with the 

 South American species. 



END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 



