692 BEPTILES — COLUBEID^. 



a. Gastrosteges, 230-240 ; tail at anus moderate, tapering gradually to a point ; ex- 

 tralimital, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Missouri C. confinis. 



6. Dorsal region greenish-yellow, with four longitudinal brown bands ; extralimital, 

 North Carolina to Florida. . . . . C. quadkivittatus. 



J. Dorsal region without bauds, c. 

 0. Gastrosteges, 230-235 ; vertical plate longer than broad ; black above. 



C. OBSOLBTUS. 



c. Gastrosteges, 210-230 ; vertical plate about as long as broad ; red dorsal blotches ; 

 extralimital, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, to Mississippi. 



C. GUTTATUS. 



d. Yertical plate about as long as broad ; extralimital, Texas to Arkansas. 



C. LINDHEIMBMl, 



d. Vertical plate longer than broad ; extralimital, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, and 

 Illinois. . . . . . . . C. BMORTi. 



Coluber obsoletus Say. 



Pilot Black. Snake or Racer. 



Coluber olsoletus, Say, Holbrook, Kirtland. 

 Coluber obsoletus, et alleghaniensis, DbKay. 

 ScotopMs alleglianiensis, Baird and Girard. 

 Elaphis alleghaniensis, Allen. 

 Coluber obsoletus, et ScotopMs alleghaniensis, Copb. 



Color black, sometimes with the scales margined with yellowish-white, giving the 

 appearance of lighter blotches; head black above; upper labials greenish-yellow; 

 abdomen dark or a mottled black and yellow, or black and white ; gular and lower 

 maxillary region either mottled or dirty yellow; vertical plate sub-pentagonal, longer 

 than broad; oooipitals large, truncate behind; postfrontals and s»>stral large; upper 

 labials, 8, the two posterior the largest, lower, 11, fifth and sixth largest ; inframaxil- 

 laries extending to eighth lowerlabial ; dorsal scales in 27, rarely 25 rows ; gastrosteges, 

 230-235; urosteges, 80-86. Length, 5 feet; head. If inches; tail, 10 inches ; transverse 

 diameter of head, 1 inch; of neck, 9 lines^ oircumferenoe of body, 4^- inches. 



Habitat, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North 

 Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. 



In the State I have seen but one specimen of the Pilot Snake. It 

 came from Yellow Springs, Clarke county, and was sent to me by Prof. 

 Tuttle, of the Ohio State University. It differed from the typical Coluber 

 obsoletus by having 25 instead of 27 rows of scales, and a slightly broader 

 vertical plate, approaching in these respects the southern variety, confinis. 

 It is said to dwell for the most part in damp places, crawling upon the 

 hills in autumn previous to hybernation, and is an animal of " prodigious 

 velocity," probably rare in our limits. It resembles and is liable to be 

 confounded with the Blue Racer, Bascanion constrictor, from which it can 

 be readily distinguished by its darker color, and having the central dorsal 

 scales carinated instead of smooth. 



