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470 General Notes. pe » [July, 
A Two-HEADED SNAKE.—On page 264 of your journal for 
April I notice an account of a two-headed snake—Pityophis sp., 
and as I have recently discovered one in the reserve series of 
reptiles of the National Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, 
I venture to forward a description trusting it may possess some 
little interest to your readers. 
This specimen, No. 7276 Smith. Coll., was presented by Miss 
Marshall, of Port Tobacco, Md., and is the specimen known 
as Ofphibolus getulus (Linn.) Cope, the common’ chain or 
king snake. It has two perfect heads, both possessing the scale 
formula which characterize the species. The length of the speci- 
men from the extremity of the right head to the end of the tail is 
9 7-10 inches, length from extremity of left head to tip of tail 10 
inches, by which it will be seen that a slight difference exists. 
The left head and neck and continuation although somewhat 
smaller ear right, appears to be the snake proper, the right a 
sort of graft on the main trunk. The two heads are 11-16 of an 
inch apart sod 1⁄4 an inch from the end of each nose a fold of 
skin commences on the inner side of each neck, this being on a 
level with the commissure of the mouth. The color of the two 
white rings on each head posterior to the occipital plates, which 
are normal, are produced across this fold of skin, and a secon 
white ring on the left head also passes down to the fold. This 
extends backwards 5-16ths of an inch from its anterior border 
and then the two spinal columns are welded together. The two 
cesophagi terminate in a common one a little posterior to the line 
of union. In all other respects the specimen is a typical, O. getulus. 
The scutella below and behind the fold of skin run directly 
across both necks and bodics, no median line separating them, 
but become normal a little posterior to the juncture of the heads. 
When the two heads are compressed laterally together, the left 
one is found to be slightly longer than the right, which is a trifle 
larger. There are two white rings on each neck, the posterior 
one on the right a little behind the corresponding one on the 
left. This is the only two-headed snake in the enormously large 
collection of reptiles in the Smithsonian Institution, which I have 
lately gone over.—/7/. C. Yarrow, Smithsonian Institution, Wash- 
ington, D. C., April 3, 1878. / 
Eee ON TuRrEE Rare Birps or Minnesora.—Within the last 
w years ornithologists in and about Minneapolis, Minnesota, 
Sve found three species of birds conceded to be ea the least 
familiar forms of our American feathered populati 
ne of these is the Bohemian Chatterer, or pote Wax- 
vog Lanp garrulus) For the past five years at least, this 
bird has been a regular winter resident here, arriving early in 
Sake and taking its departure in March. It is rarely ob- 
served op in large flocks, which are almost incessantly astir. 
