1852.) 183 
scales ; about sixty oblong transverse golden colored spots on each side; ground 
color raven black. Abdominal scuta 156; sub caudal 78. 
Description. The head is of moderate} size, depressed above; the temples 
are somewhat swollen; the plates upon the upper part of the head, nine 
in number, do not differ materially from the plates of the Tropidonoti in gene- 
ral; the canthus rostralis, or that portion of the side of the head situated between 
the eye and the extremity of the snout, is distinctly, but not so deeply grooved 
as in Psammophis; the nostril is situated between two nasal plates, the anterior 
larger than the posterior; there is a small quadrilateral frenal plate; there is 
one ant-ocular, and three posterior oculars; a very small part of the ant-ocular 
plate is seen upon the surface of the head; the eye is of moderate size, projecting ; 
there is a large temporal plate immediately behind the oculars, and posterior to 
it are four others; seven plates margin the upper jaw, of which the fifth and 
the sixth are the largest; neck contracted; body of moderate length, thicker 
in the middle; tail about one-fourth the length of the body. ‘There are seven- 
teen rows of carinated scales. 
Color. Head light chestnut above, deeper in front; margin of upper jaw, 
for. two-thirds of its extent, light olive; ground color of body and tail above 
and upon the sides, raven black; a yellow band, including one row and the 
half of each adjoining row of scales, extends from the occiput to the tail, 
along the middle line of the back; it is continued upon the tail, but there 
becomes more narrow; upon each side of the body, just above the inferior row 
of scales, is a row of about sixty transverse oblong golden colored spots; one 
and sometimes two of the intermediate scales is perfectly black; the spots 
themselves cover about three rows of scales. Abdominal scuta 156; sub cau- 
dal 78. 
~ Dimensions. Length of head 1 inch; greatest breadth 6 lines; length of body 
2 ft. 3 inches; length of tail 5 inches 10 lines; greatest circumference 2 inches 
five lines; total length 2 ft. 9 inches 10 lines. 
Habitat. Oregon Territory. A specimen in the Museumof Academy, pre- 
sented by Dr. Shumard. ‘The most beautiful of the North American serpents 
hitherto discovered. 
Hyta scapuLaRis. 
Sp. Char. Head small; body small and slender, olive green above, with nu- 
merous irregular bluish blotches; a bluish vitta running from the eye over the 
shoulder ; total length one and a half inches (Fr.) 
Description. The head is short and small, depressed; the snout some- 
what rounded; the nostrils are small and circular, looking upward and out- 
ward, about a line apart, situated immediately below the ridge running from 
the extremity of the snout to the anterior canthus of the eye; they are nearer 
the extremity of the snout than the eye; mouth quite large; the tongue is 
heart-shaped, quite free behind, notched upon its posterior border; there are 
two series of palatine teeth between the nostrils, and separated from eachother 
by a narrow intermediate space; the eyes are round and project considerably ; 
the tympanum is small and circular ; the body is flattened, rather slender, much 
contracted posteriorly; extremities slender; the upper surface of the body and 
extremities presents numerous small granulations ; abdomen and under surface 
of extremities much granulated; the granulations upon the abdomen vary in 
size, and are closely in juxtaposition; chin and throat granulated. 
Color. Ground color above greenish olive, presenting numerous irregular 
bluish blotches upon the surface; several deeper colored blotches upon the 
sides; a bluish vitta, about two-thirds of a line in breadth, extends from the 
posterior part of the eye along the sides of the neck over the shoulder, a short 
distance beyond which it terminates; upper surface of extremities marked 
with bluish spots. 
Dimensions. Length of head 5 lines; greatest breadth dlines ; length of body 
1 inch; length of humerus 4 lines; of fore arm 33 lines; of hand to extremity 
of longest finger 5 lines; length of thigh 7 lines ; of leg 8 lines; of foot to ex 
tremity of longest toe 72 lines ; total length 1 inch 5 lines. ‘ 
Habitat. Oregon Territory. Presented to the Academy by Dr. Shumard. 
