140 Expedition to the 



have occurred, which has considerable affinity with the pine 

 snake of the Southern States or bull snake of Bartram.* 



and fourth primaries, near their bases; back dirty olive-brown; tail round- 

 ed; tail feathers twelve, blackish brown, two intermediate ones immacu- 

 late, adjoining- ones with a small white spot at tip, which, on the lateral 

 ones, increases in size until on the exterior one it occupies half of the 

 total length of the feather; the exterior web of the outer feather is 

 white to its base; chin and throat white: neck and breast dull cinereous; 

 abdomen and vent white; feet pale, tinged with orange; nail of the middle 

 toe slightly dilated on the inner side. 



Length six and a quarter inches. 



Shot at Bellefontain on the Missouri. Many specimens were obtain- 

 ed. The auricuJars of the female are yellowish brown. They run upon 

 the ground like a lark, seldom fly into a tree, and sing sweetly. They 

 were subsequently observed at Engineer cantonment. 



* Coluber obsoletns. Say. Body black above, beneath whitish with large 

 subquadrate black spots, which are confluent and pale bluish towards 

 the tail ; throat and neck pure white; sidesbetween the scales with red marks. 



Description. Body black; anterior half with a series of continuous, dilated 

 dull red large circles, formed upon the skin between the scales, on the 

 side; on many of the scales, are white marginal dashes near their bases; 

 these scales are placed in groups each side of the vertebra of the anterior 

 moiety of the body; scales bipunctured at tip; beneath flat, so as to 

 produce an angle or carnia each side; white slightly tinged with yellow- 

 ish red, irrorate with black points, and spotted with large oblong quadrate 

 marks, which gradually become more continuous, confluent and plum- 

 beous towards the tail, occupying nearly the whole surface; head beneath 

 and throat pure white; posterior canthus of the eye two scaled; iris black- 

 ish; pupil deep blued -black, inclosed by a silvery line. 

 One specimen, PI. 228— Sc. 67? 

 Another do. do. 233— do. 84 

 Another do. do. 228— do. 84 

 Total length — 4 feet 11 5-8 inches 

 Tail do. do. 10 1-8 do. 



The lateral red marks are not perceptible unless the skin be dilated 

 so as to separate the scales, and the small white marginal lines on the 

 bases of some of the scales are observable only on close inspection. It 

 varies in being nearly or quite destitute of spots on the anterior portion 

 of the body beneath, but the posterior half of the inferior surface still re- 

 mains blackish. The whole animal bears strong resemblance to C. con- 

 strictor^ but the scales are decidedly smaller,jand the number of its plates 

 and scales approach it stilt more closely to that uncertain species C. ovivorus. 

 It is not an uncommon species on the Missouri from the vicinity of Isle au 

 Vache to Council Bluff. 



Penis terminated by a hemisphere, covered with compressed, white 

 spines, which are reflected at tip; the series interrupted on the posterior 

 side of the member by a canal; it is much dilated, dark reddish 

 brown, abruptly contracted at base from the exterior side, and with a 

 prominent tubercle on the middle of the inner side; length one inch aad 

 a quarter, width about seven-sixteenths of an inch. 



