112 HELICOPS ABACURUS. 



the pupil is black, and the iris grey, with a tinge of red. The body is elongated 

 and almost cylindrical, tapering only towards the commencement of the tail; 

 the scales are all smooth, shining, broad, and obtuse at the apex, and even more 

 uniform in size than in the preceding species. The tail is remarkably short, 

 conical, terminating rather abruptly in a slight point. 



Colours. The head above is dark blue, with the plates tinged with red at 

 their junction. The labial plates of the upper jaw are reddish, each with a 

 dark blue spot in the centre; most of those of the lower lip are likewise spotted. 

 The whole superior surface of the animal is bluish-black; the sides are marked 

 with about sixty transverse blotches 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. 



Dimensions. Length of the head, 15 lines; breadth of the head, 11 lines; 

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

 total length, 4 feet 5 inches. 



GEOGRAPmcAL DISTRIBUTION. I havc seen this animal only in South Carolina; 

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

 vicinity of New Orleans, where it is said to be abundant. 



Habits, This serpent seems to be similar in its habits to the Hclicops 

 erythrogrammus; but it is rare and shy, consequently little can be said about it. 

 I have never seen but three of them alive. 



General Remarks. The Helicops abacurus is evidently very closely related 

 to the preceding, and both have been very properly separated from Coluber. 



