128 BULLETIN 114, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



LAMPROPELTIS RHOMBOMACULATA (Holbrook). 



molecatchee; brown king snake. 

 Fig. 42. 



1840. Coluber rhombomaculatus Holbrook, N. Amer. Herp., ed. 1, vol. 4, p. 103, 

 pi. 20 (type locality, Georgia and Alabama). — Coronella rhombo-maculata 

 Holbrook, N. Amer. Herp., ed. 2, vol. 3, 1842, p. 103, pi. 23.— Jan, 

 Arch. Zool. Anat., vol. 2, fasc. 2, 1863, pp. 237, 243; Icon. Gen. Ophid., 

 livr. 17, 1866, pi. 2, figa. 1, 2. — Ophibolus rhombomaculatus Baird and 

 GiRARD, Cat. N. Amer. Rept., pt. 1, 1853, p. 86.— Baird, Pacif. R. R. 

 Surv., vol. 10, pt. 3, no. 1, 1859, pi. 30, fig. 60.— Cope, Bull. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., no. 1, 1875, p. 37.— Yarrow, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., no. 24, 1882, 

 p. 94. — Davis and RicE, Illinois State Lab. Nat. Hist. Bull. no. 5, 1883, 

 p. 34; Bull. Chicago Acad. Sci., vol. 1, no. 3, p. 29 (Southern Illinois — 

 probably an error).— Cope, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 11, 1888, p. 381; 

 same, vol. 14, 1891, p. 610. — Garman, H., Bull. Illinois State Lab. 

 Nat. Hist., vol. 3, art. 13, 1892, p. 296.— Cope, Rep. U. S. Nat. Mus. for 

 1898. 1900, p. 903, fig. 222, pi. 18, fig. 5.— Brown, Proc. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci. Philadelphia, 1901, p. 79. — Miller, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 

 vol. 15, 1902, p. 36. — Hay, same, p. 90. — Brimley, Journ. Elisha 

 Mitchell Sci. Soc, vol. 21, no. 4, 1905, p. 152; same, 1907, p. 146.— 

 DiTMARS, Reptile Book, 1907, pp. 341, 354, pi. 103, figs. 5, 8, pi. 104.— 

 Brimley, Journ. Elisha Mitchell Sci. Soc, vol. 30, no. 4, 1915, p. 

 202. — Lampropeltis rhombomaculata Cope, Proc Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila- 

 delphia, 1860, p. 255.— Stejneger, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 14, 1891, 

 p. 503. — Dunn, Copeia, no. 18, 1915, p. 6. — Stejneger and Barbour, 

 Check List, 1917, p. 89. — Lampropeltis rhombomaculatus Hay, Proc. 

 Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 15, 1902, p. 138. — Schufeldt, Guide to 

 Nature, vol. 5, no. 9, p. 269, fig. 2. 



1883. Ophibolus triangulus rhombomaculatus Garman, S., Mem. Mus. Comp. 

 Zool., vol. 8, no. 3, pt. 1, p. 156. 



1894. Coronella calligaster (part) Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., vol. 2, 

 p. 199. 



Description. — The scutellation is as follows: Ventral plates, 191 

 to 213; caudals, 31 to 55 (males 37 to 55, average 45; females 31 to 

 44, average 41); supraiabials, 7; infralabials usually 8, often 9; 

 oculars, 1 and 2; temporals 2 + 3+4; posterior chin shields a little 

 shorter than the anterior or about equal, parallel, only occasionally 

 separated from each other by a small scale; suture between the 

 internasals only about half as long as that between the prefrontals; 

 loreal usually longer than high, sometimes as high as long; scale 

 rows on middle of body 21 or 23, formula usually 21-19 or 21-23-21- 

 19. 



In bodily proportions this form is very similar to calligaster; the 

 snout is generally shorter and blunter, and apparently the whole 

 animal averages somewhat shorter and more slender. The tail 

 varies from 0.100 to 0.150 of the total length (males, 0.111 to 

 0.150, average 0.124; females 0.100 to 0.131, average 0.119). The 

 largest specimen examined was from Raleigh, North Carolina, and 



