COLUBER PUNCTATUS. 83 



its hiding-place tOAvards the dusk of evening, or after rain, when the insects on 

 ■which it feeds have been washed from their hiding-places. 



Geographical Distribution. The Coluber punctatus inhabits the Atlantic 

 states from Maine to Florida inclusive. 



General Remarks. The first notice of this animal is to be found in tlie 

 Gleanings of Natural History, by George Edwards,* where may be seen an 

 excellent plate of it. He says it was sent to him by his friend Bartram, from 

 Pennsylvania; that "its upper side, except a white ring round the neck, is of 

 shining jet black; the belly, or under part, is of a fine light red, and the eyes 

 flame-colour." A second specimen was also sent him, the "upper side of which 

 was chestnut-colour, and the under side deep yellow."t 



Linnaeus next gave the characters very distinctly of this animal, from a specimen 

 furnished him by Dr. Garden. Other naturalists only copied him, till Bosc 

 observed it in Carolina, and communicated a very full description of it to Latreille, 

 which was afterwards copied by Daudin. 



Merrem, from the plate to which he refers in Edwards, being without the 

 three longitudinal rows of dark spots that Linnaeus gives as one of the distinctive 

 marks of his animal, as well as from its having a collar or ring, not mentioned in 

 Linnaeus, thought it a new species, and called it after Edwards. Yet there is no 

 doubt that the Natrix punctatus and the Natrix Edwardsii of Merrem are one and 

 the same animal. Indeed, I have more than once seen individuals of this species 

 without the rings at the neck, and as frequently without the spots; and Say has 

 seen the central row double. 



This serpent has been arranged in very different genera by different naturalists. 

 Some have placed it in Calamaria; others in Coronella; others in Homolosoma; 



* Gleaaings of Natural History, vol. iii. p. 289. f Ibid., p. 290. 



