ZOOLOGY—REPTILES. 
13 
existing in Psammophis moniliger. The true place for this serpent appears to he where Dumeril 
and Bibon have placed the flagelliformis , viz : in the genus Herpetodryas. No true Psammophis 
exists in the United States. 
LEPTOPHIS, Bell. 
LEPTOPHIS LATERALIS, Nob. 
Char. —Head small, rather long and slender, covered above with nine plates ; the posterior 
frontals are larger than the anterior, passing down upon the sides of the head ; vertical, very 
long and narrow, broader in front; nostrils between two nasal plates ; a small quadrilateral 
frenal; a large antocular, its upper portion forming part of the lateral surface of the head ; 
below it, a minute supplementary plate intercalated between the third and fourth labials ; two 
posterior oculars ; eye large and projecting, space between it and the nostrils grooved; eight 
superior labials, the fourth and fifth forming the inferior margin of the orbit; body long and 
slender ; tail rather long ; color brown above, with two narrow yellow vittre, one on each side, 
extending from the head to the root of the tail; abdomen and under surface of tail straw color, 
immaculate ; a considerable number of very minute black points upon the chin and throat. 
Ahdom. scuta, 196 ; sub caud., 122. 
Dimensions. —Length of head, 8 lines ; greatest breadth, 3 lines ; length of body, 1 foot 5 lines; 
of tail, 5 inches 1 line ; total length, 1 foot 6 inches 2 lines ; circumference, 9 lines. 17 rows 
of smooth scales. 
Gen. Obs.—A bundant in the neighborhood of ponds, lakes, and hanks of rivers ; very timid, 
escaping to the water for protection the moment it is approached. 
Habitat. —California. 
The first description of this serpent was published in the Proceed, of the Acad, of Nat. 
Sciences for January, 1853. Messrs. Dumeril and son have since given the same name to a 
species of Leptophis , from Madagascar. 
TROPIDONOTUS, Kuhl. 
TROPIDONOTUS TRI-VITTATUS. 
Char. —Head rather small, outline above triangular ; depressed posteriorly, cheeks tumid, 
eyes slightly projecting, nostrils between two plates ; a quadrilateral frenal plate ; one large 
antorbitar, two posterior orbitars ; eight superior labials on each side, the sixth the largest; 
neck slightly contracted, abdomen flattened, body of moderate size, covered above with nineteen 
rows of carinated scales ; tail of moderate length, tapering to a point; body jet black above, 
with three narrow vittm extending from the head to the extremity of the tail; the lateral ones 
become indistinct; the dorsal vitta is orange-colored and occupies one row and a half of each 
of the adjoining rows of scales ; abdomen and under jpart of tail olive-colored, immaculate ; 
upper surface of head black. 
Ahdom. scuta, 146 ; sub caud., 72. 
Dimensions. —Length of head, 9 lines ; greatest breadth, 6 lines ; length of body about 1 foot 
7 inches ; of tail, 5 inches 7 lines. (Body broken.) 
