458 



MOLURUS SNAKE. 



Coluber Molurus. C. crassus pallidus, macuUs magnis irregula^ 

 ribus rufis margine fuscis variatus, cauda brevi. 



Thick-bodied pale Snake, with large irregular rufous variega- 

 tions edged with brown, and short tail. 



Coluber Molurus. Lift. S^st. Nat. p, 387. 



Abdominal scuta 248, subcaudal scales 59* 



A LARGE snake, with the general habit of a Boa 

 rather than a Coluber, being of very considerable 

 thickness in proportion to its length : head rather 

 large; snout lengthened, like that of the Boa 

 canina, and covered with large scales : tail short, 

 gradually tapering to a point : colour of the whole 

 animal whitish or grey, clouded with large irre- 

 gular rufous variegations bordered with brown : 

 under parts white. Native of India : not poison- 

 ous : grows to the length of five or six feet. 



COPPER-BELLIED SNAKE, 



Coluber Erythrogaster. C.fnscus, abdomine cupreo. 



Brown Snake, with copper-coloured abdomen. 



Coluber erythrogaster. Forst. Catal. Catesb. Carol. 2. t. 4^. 



The Copper-bellied Snake is a native of North 

 America, and is thus described by Catesby in his 

 History of Carolina : These snakes sometimes ap- 

 proach near to the size of the R-attle-Snake : they 

 are of a brown colour, except their bellies, which 

 are of a muddy red or copper colour: they fre- 

 quent the water, and very probably prey on fish; 



