SERPENTS OF NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES 



369 



4 Liopeltis vernalis (De Kay) 

 Smooth green snake 

 * De Kay. Coluber vernalis 



Jordan. Liopeltis vernalis 

 Head distinct ; body slender. Scales smooth, in 15 rows. 

 less than one third of total length. 



Tail 



a 



a 



Fig. 5 Liopeltis vernalis 



Above, green ; yellowish to yellowish green beneath. Length 20 

 Inches. 



A somewhat smaller species than Cyclop his aestivus from 

 which it is distinguished by its scales being smooth and in 15 rows, 

 &s well as by having a proportionately shorter tail. 



Common in many parts of the state. De Kay '42, states that it 

 is " very common in the marshes about Salina and Cayuga." 



" Specimens taken on Staten Island, N". Y." Ditmars. '96, p. 14 

 Still common in the Highlands." Mearns. '98, p. 326 

 More common, I believe, in Orange county than east of the Hud- 

 son." Eckel. 1901, p. 152 



" A number of specimens taken at Ithaca." Reed. 1901 



" Quite common in Rockland county." Wallace. 1901 



Specimens were taken by Baird near Westport, Essex co., and 

 several have been sent to the state museum recently from Ausable 

 Forks, Essex co. The species has been recorded as far north as 

 Nova Scotia. (MacKay. '96.) 



5 Cyclophis aestivus (Linn.) 



Hough green snake 

 De Kay. Leptophis aestivus 

 Jordan. Opheodrys aestivus 

 Head distinct ; body slender. Scales strongly carinated, in 17 

 rows. Tail more than one third length of body. 



Bright green above ; light yellow below. Length 30 inches. 

 Distinguished from Liopeltis vernalis, our only other snake 



