TION. 



Class III. RINGED SERPENT. 45 



The color of the back and sides of the snake Descrip- 

 are dusky or brown; the middle of the back 

 marked with two rows of small black spots run- 

 ning from head to tail ; from them are multi- 

 tudes of lines of spots crossing the sides ; the 

 plates on the belly are dusky, the scales on the 

 sides of a bluish white ; on each side the neck 

 is a spot of pale yellow, and at the base of each 

 is a triangular black spot, one angle of which 

 points towards the tail ; the teeth are small 

 and serrated, lying on each side the jaw in two 

 rows.* 



This species is perfectly inoffensive ; it fre- 

 quents and lodges itself among bushes in moist 

 places, and will readily take the water, swim- 

 ming very well. It preys on frogs, insects, 



* Mr. Sheppard mentions f a beautiful species or variety of 

 Coluber, to which he gives the name of cceruleus from the elegant 

 azure blue of its belly. It grows to the length of twenty-five 

 inches. The upper part of the head is of a light brown color, 

 with a dark brown spot in the form of a V ; the sides of the 

 under part yellowish white, edged with dull red ; the hides red ; 

 the back light brown, and a string of dark brown rhomboidal 

 marks reaching from the head to the end of the tail ; the sides 

 spotted with dark brown ; the scuta of the belly light blue, spot- 

 ted with white ; the squamce, which margin them, edged with 

 white ; the first part of the under side of the tail blue edged with 

 red, the remainder yellow, spotted with white. Ed. 



f Lin. Tr, vii. 56. 



