OPHISAURUS VENTRALIS. 141 



The body is elongated, serpentiform, sub-cylindrical and deeply impressed Avith a 

 lateral groove, very visible during respiration. Above it is covered with rhom- 

 boidal, closely imbricated, but perfectly smooth scales, disposed in longitudinal 

 and transverse rows, sixteen of the former and about one hundred and twenty of 

 the latter between the neck and tail. 



The abdomen is protected with larger plates of hexagonal form, broadest 

 transversely, and arranged in longitudinal and transverse series, ten of the first 

 and one hundred and twenty of the second. 



The tail is very long, more than twice the length of the body, although about 

 the same size at its root; it is perfectly round and tapers very gradually to its tip, 

 and is covered with scales similar to those of the body, verticillated so as to 

 make when entire about one hundred and forty rings. 



Colour. The head above and at the sides is mottled black and green, tinged 

 with yellow at the jaws. The body and tail above are marked with longitudinal 

 and transverse lines of black, green and yellow, corresponding with the position 

 of the scales. The under surface of the whole animal is bright yellow, most 

 remarkable at the abdomen. Several varieties of colour have been observed in 

 this animal by foreign herpetologists, which to me seems to be the effect of the 

 liquor in which the specimen may have been preserved, or of long exposure; for, 

 during life, I have never observed the colours other than those represented in the 

 accompanying plate, varying only in brightness, and I have seen thousands. 



Dimensions. Length of head, 1 inch 2 lines; length of body to vent, 9 inches; 

 length of tail, 18 inches 3 lines: total length, 28 inches 4 lines. I have examined 

 specimens more than 3 feet 4 inches in length. 



Habits. The Ophisaurus ventralis chooses dry places for its abode, and passes 

 much of its time in holes, or under the roots of old trees, and is often dug out of 

 the earth with the sweet potato (Convolulus batatas) at harvest time. When 



