130 BULLETIN 114, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The head markings are like those of calligaster, but much less dis- 

 tinct. The prefrontal bar may be just visible; the forked mark on 

 the parietals is evident; the elongate bands on the neck, and the 

 dark diagonal from the lower postocular to the last supralabial are 

 nearly as well developed as in calligaster. 



The ground color is a light or dark brown or greenish, lighter on 

 the sides. The dorsal blotches are a darker brown or reddish, nar- 

 rowly margined with black. In young individuals the blotches are 

 a dark red, and the belly is yellowish. 



The penis is closely similar to that of calligaster. It may be de- 

 scribed as bilobed; the sulcus single, and passing over the end of the 

 larger lobe where it is continuous with a narrow smooth area which 

 widens on the distal end of the smaller lobe; this smooth area bor- 

 dered by a few calyces, most numerous on the larger lobe, but still 

 so few that they are scarcely visible in a side view of the fully dis- 

 tended organ; fringes extremely short, becoming modified into short, 

 stout spines which increase in size basally; less than half way down 

 from the end of the organ the large spines replaced abruptly by a 

 few scattered minute ones; basal portion smooth. 



The skull is essentially like that of calligaster. The dentition is 

 as follows: Maxillaries 12 to 15, usually 12 or 13, subequal, but dis- 

 tinctly decreasing in size anteriorly and posteriorly; mandibular 

 teeth 12 to 16, usually 12, decreasing in size before and behind, the 

 third to sixth largest; palatines, 9 or 10, subequal; pterygoids usually 

 14, varying from 13 to 16, subequal, smaller than the palatines. 



Hahitat and Jiahits.- — ^This form was rare in collections until about 

 1888 when it was found near the District of Columbia, on the Virginia 

 side of the river. Since then many examples have been taken in 

 this vicinity on both sides of the river. Its apparent rarity is un- 

 doubtedly due to its secretive and burrowing habits. It is sometimes 

 found in the open. Ditmars (1907, 355) reports finding one in Fair- 

 fax County, Virginia, ^'that lay stretched upon a grassy bank, enjoy- 

 ing the warm rays of a spring sun. When captured it defended 

 itself vigorously for the moment, but soon became quiet. Havmg 

 no receptacle in which to place the snake, the writer carried it several 

 miles coiled quietly about his hand. Its only symptom of anger was 

 an occasional shaking of the tail." One taken near Mobile, Alabama, 

 last spring by Mr. W. R. Jones was found ^'crossing a dry road in 

 the latter part of the afternoon." M\ Jones describes the situation 

 as '^cut-over pine land with more or less scrub oak. Not much 

 brush, as it is frequently burned over. Light soil, sand)^ loam; 

 about 600 yards from nearest water." Frequent notes on labeled 

 specimens indicate that it is most commonl}^ found in the ground, 

 and turned out by the plow or in excavations. Mr. E. E. Dunn 

 thinks they can be readily found by following a plow in any upland 



