134: 
ON THE PHYSIOONOMY OF SEEPENTS. 
1 . CoRONELLA vENUSTissiMA. SoHth. America ppodiices 
this beautiful species, distinguishable by its slender form 
and its colours ; a fine vermilion-red is the ground colour, 
and all the body is surrounded with fifteen pairs of black 
rings bordered with white. The scales with black points 
are disposed in 15 rows. The abdominal plates are 200 ; 
those of the tail vary from 45 to 100. 
At Surinam, this snake is replaced by one very analo- 
gous ; but which has a more slender form, and conse- 
quently a smaller number of abdominal plates, which are 
only about 180 : vfe may confer on this serpent the name 
of CoEONELLA VENUSTA, if we would conslcler it as a dis- 
tinct species : it is very common, and known as Coluber 
agilis. 
2. CoRONELLA coccTNEA is another closely allied species, 
inhabiting North America, but is of smaller size than 
the last ; the eyes are smaller ; the vertical plate is mas- 
sive, and the superciliary small. R. of scales, 17. S. 
170 + 35. 
3. CoRONELLA Merremmii is common in Brazil, and 
is remarkable for the vast number of varieties it affords 
accidentally, or from age. Its head is very broad, and 
covered on the summit by small plates of an elongated 
form. The large rhomboidal scales are disposed in from 
17 to 19 rows. The under parts are usually yellow ; the 
uppel' in adults is of a greyish-green, dependent on a round 
spot in the centre of each scale. The young have a sys- 
tem of colouring, like that of the preceding species, but 
the black rings become effaced with age, and the red tint 
becomes brown. S. 139 + 50, or 183 + ^8. 
4. CoRONELLA Begin^ occurs in Surinam, Brazil, and 
even in Guadaloupe. In form it resembles the preceding, 
but the colours are different ; above greyish-blue, below 
yellow, with square spots of black ; small black spots or- 
nament the sides, and there are white spots near the angle 
of the mouth, and on the neck. B. of scales, 17. S. 
140 + 70. 
5. CosoNELLA CoBELLA is commoii in Surinam, and ap- 
pears also to be found in North America. The frame is 
