COLUBER EXIMIUS. 



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is a series of ovoid dusky blotches, sometimes with irregular margins, and always 

 bordered with black, and most extensive in the transverse direction, in which it 

 differs from the Coluber guttatus. These blotches are sometimes so extensive 

 that they give the serpent an appearance of being banded with black and white; 

 alternating with these dusky bars on the flanks is a second series of sub-round 

 spots, smaller and blacker than those of the back. There is often a third series 

 lower down and still smaller. 



The abdomen is silver-white, each plate being marked with one or two black 

 spots; if there is a single spot on the plate, it is oblong, quadrilateral, large, and 

 placed near the centre; when there are two spots, they are regularly quadrilateral, 

 and are situated near the lateral extremities of the plate. These spots give to 

 the whole inferior surface of the animal a beautiful tessellated appearance of 

 black and white; which well merits the name of calligaster, that Harlan says was 

 given by Say to the western variety of this animal. 



Dimensions. Length of head, 11 lines; length of body, 30 inches; length of tail, 

 51 inches: total length, 36 inches 5 lines. In the specimen here described there 

 were 198 abdominal plates, and 47 sub-caudal scales. This animal is said at 

 times to exceed 4 feet in length. 



Habits. The Coluber eximius is gentle in its habits, feeding on field-mice, 

 various insects, &c. It approaches without fear the habitations of men, and is 

 hence not uncommonly called the House Snake; it also frequents dairies and 

 cellars where milk is kept; and this, from a mistaken notion of its robbing the 

 dairy-women, has given rise to another name, "Milk Snake." 



Geographical Distribution. The range of the Coluber eximius seems to be 

 confined to the northward of the 37th parallel of latitude; south of this, in the 

 Atlantic states, I have never heard of its existence; its place is there supplied by 

 another and closely allied species, the Coluber guttatus. North of this line it is 

 however abundant; I have seen it in Maine and Rhode Island; Dr. Storer in 



