92 COLUBER ERTTHROGASTER. 



Colour. The whole superior surface of the animal, body, head, neck and tail, 

 is brownish-red; the sides are tinged with green near the abdomen; the whole 

 inferior surface is uniform copper colour. 



Dimensions. Length of head, IJ inches; greatest breadth of head, 11 lines; 

 length of body, 32 inches; length of tail, 11 inches. The specimen described had 

 one hundred and sixty abdominal plates, and seventy-seven pair of subcaudal 

 scales. 



Habits. The habits of the Coluber erythrogaster seem closely allied to those 

 of the Coluber fasciatus; they are found in similar localities, and live on similar 

 food, though the former is less numerous than the latter. 



Geographical Distribution. I have never hitherto heard of the existence of 

 this snake northward of South Carolina; its range extends through that state, 

 Georgia, Alabama, and along the northern shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Professor 

 Green, of Philadelphia, has in his possession a specimen taken as far west as 

 Amity county, Louisiana. 



General Remarks. This animal was first described by Catesby, who gave a 

 pretty good drawing of it. The next notice is in Shaw's General Zoology; since 

 which work it has been overlooked by some naturalists, and by others referred to 

 the Coluber porcatus of Bosc. 



