FAMILY PLATURIA.

Water Snakes, with a compressed or depressed tail, and a scaly body. (No fins and no gills.)

I. Genus. ENHYDRIS Latreille, &c. (Hydrus Schneider. Coluber Pallas Daudin.) Body with transverse scaly plates underneath, mouth with sharp teeth but no fangs, tail compressed, with two rows of scaly plates underneath, and often one or two nails at the end.

1. Sp. Enhydris caspia Latr. Caspian Enhydris. Back cinereous olivaceous, with 4 rows of round black spots, 180 abdominal plates, 70 pair of caudal plates. Found by Pallas in the Caspian Sea, the Wolga, &c. 5 feet long.

2. Sp. Enhydris piscator Latr. Fishing Enhydris. Yellowish brown, with many small round black spots, in oblique rows and black line, 152 abdominal plates, and 24 pairs of caudal plates. Found by Russel in the swamps of India, Sfeet long.

3.Sp. Enhydris palustris Latr. Swamp Enhydris. Yellow brown, with rhomboidal brown spots, edged with black, tail whitish underneath, 140 abdominal plates, 49 pairs of caudal plates. Found by Russel in the swamps of India, 2 or 3 feet long.

4. Sp. Enhydris cerulea Latr. Blue Enhydris. Body blue, belly and tail yellow, with a blue line in the middle, 159 abdominal plates, 52 pairs of caudal plates. Found by Russel in the rivers of India, 2 feet long.

5. Sp. Enhydris rhyncops Latr. Beaked Enhydris. Head partly black, with a bill shaped snout, body dark gray, throat and belly yellowish, 144 abdominal plates, 59 pairs of caudal plates. Found in the East Indies by Russel, length four feet and half, perhaps a peculiar genus.

II. Genus. NATRIX Raf. (Enhydris Latr. Daud.) It differs from the foregoing, by having a broad head, (perhaps with fangs) a narrow neck, the abdomen carinated, &c.

1. Sp. Natrix dorsalis Raf. (Enhydris dorsalis Latr. Daud.) Dorsal Natrix. Dirty white, with a black sinuated dorsal stripe, 43 pairs of caudal plates. A very small species, about 1 foot long.

III. Genus. PLATURUS Latr. Daud. (Hydrus Schneider.) Differing from Enhydris, by having fangs, and the tail with two scales at the top.

1. Sp. Platurus fasciatus. Latr. (Hydrus colubrinus Schn.) Zoned Plature. Cinereous above, with broad brown zones, tail acute. Length 2 feet, from South America and the East Indies: many spetes are probably blended here.

2. Sp. Platurus laurenti Raf. Tail obtuse.

IV. Genus. HYDROPHIS Latr. Daud. (Hydrus Schneider.) Body cylindrical, with equal scales in parallel rows, mouth with fangs, tail compressed, scales as on the body.

1. Sp. Hydrophis chittul Latr. Chittul Hydrophis. White, with many zones of a light blue, tail obtuse, 306 scales in each row of the body, 48 in the caudal rows. Found in India by Russel, length 3 feet, very poisonous as well as the following; their bite kills in a few minutes.

2. Sp. Hydrophis cyanura Raf. (H. hoglin Latr.) Hoglin Hydrophis. Blue above, yellow underneath, 308 scales in each row of the body; tail entirely blue, with 48 scales in each row. Also found in the East Indies by Russel, length two feet and half.

V. Genus. PELAMIS Daud. (Hydrophis Latr. Hydrus Schneider.) Differing from Hydrophis, by having no fangs, and therefore being harmless.

1. Sp. Pelamis bicolor Daud. (Hydrophis platura Latr.) Bicolor Pelamis. Black above, white underneath, tail rounded at the end. Found by Forster in the Pacific Ocean.

2. Sp. Pelamis schneideri Raf. (Pelamis bicolor Var. Daud.) Schneiderian Pelamis. From the East Indies.

3. Sp. Pelamis fasciatus Daud. (Hydrophis lancicauda Latr.) Zoned Pelamis. Sallow, with transverse brown zones, 200 scales in each row of the body; tail, lanceolate acute, with 50 scales in each row. Described by Vosmaer and Russel, from the Indian Archipelago, &c.

4. Sp. Pelamis marginatus Raf. (Hydrophis Shootur Latr.) Shootur Pelamis. Blue, scales slightly edged with yellow, many narrow transverse yellow stripes on the back: very faint posteriorly, 332 scales in the rows of the body; tail lanceolate, with 40 scales in each row. Found by Russel in the swamps of India, perhaps an Hydrophis.

5. Sp. Pelamis fuscatus Raf. Brown Pelamis. Entirely of an olivaceous brown, scales very small, tail obtuse. I have observed it in the Mediterranean, near the shores of Sicily, where it is called Serpedemari (Sea Snake,) along with many real fishes: length 2 feet.

VI. Genus. OPHINECTES Raf. Differing from Pelamis by having a compressed body and a carinated or angular abdomen.-I arrange in this new genus, all the Sea Snakes, mentioned in Peron's Travels; they were all found on the western and southern shores of Australia or

New-Holland; such as may have fangs ought to belong to the genus Natrix, and those with cylindrical bodies to the genus Pelamis.

1. Sp. Ophinectes cinereus, Raf. Cinerevus Ophinectes. Entirely gray or ash

colour.

2. Sp. Ophinectes viridis, Raf. Green Ophinectes. Entirely green.

3. Sp. Ophinectes luteus, Raf. Yellow O. Entirely yellow.

4. Sp. Ophinectes cerulescens, Raf. Bluish O. Entirely of a bluish colour.

5. Sp. Ophinectes versicolor, Raf. Versicolor O. Varied with many transverse zones, blue, white, red, green, and black. Many species are probably meant here. 6. Sp. Ophinectes maculatus, Raf. Spotted O. Covered with many irregular large spots. Many species.

7. Sp. Ophinectes punctatus, Raf. Dotted O. Covered with numberless small dots. Many species.

8. Sp. Ophinectes crythrocephalus, Raf. Red-head O. Head of a beautiful red, body

9. Sp. Ophinectus dorsalis, Raf. Backed O. Dark green with large spots of yellow and light green on the back.-Length 3 or 4 feet; near Dewitt's land.

10. Sp. Ophinectes major, Raf. Large Ophinectes. Green spotted with red and brown.-Length from 8 to 10 feet; also from the shores of Dewitt's land.

This last species appears to be the largest real sea-snake, which has fallen under the personal observation of naturalists as yet. But larger species still have been noticed at different periods. If I had the time and opportunity of perusing all the accounts of travellers and historians, I could probably bring many into notice; but this tedious labour must be postponed, and I must warn those that may be inclined to inquire into the subject, not to be deceived by the imperfect and exaggerated accounts of ancient or unknown writers. Whenever they neither mention the scales nor tail of their Sea Serpents, or when they assert they had no scales, or had gills or fins, you must in all those instances be certain that they are real fishes rather than Serpents. There might however be found some Sea Snakes without scales, since there are such land snakes, and there are fishes with scales and yet without fins; but there are no fishes without gills, and no snakes or serpents with gills! in that important character the classical distinction consists.

Nearly all the writers which I can remember, have been unacquainted with that obvious distinction; and they have

in imitation of the ancient Greek and Roman writers, given the name of SeaSnakes to the large eels or fishes they happened to observe; this I apprehend is the case with Pontopidan in his Natural History of Norway, with Mongitore in *his remarkable objects of Sicily, with Leguat in his travels to Rodriguez-Island, &c. Their observations, and the facts they record, are notwithstanding equally valuable, since they relate to monstrous unknown fishes, which seldom fall under the observation of men. The individuals of huge species are not numerous in nature, either on land and in water, and it is probable they often become extinct for want of food or reproduction.

Among the four different animals which have lately been observed by Americans, and named Sea-Serpents, only one (the Massachusetts Serpent) appears to be such: another is evidently a fish, and two are doubtful. I shall offer a few remarks on each.

1. The Massachusetts Sea Serpent. From the various and contradictory accounts given of this monster by witnesses, the following description may be collected-It is about 100 feet long, the body is round and nearly two feet in diameter, of a dark brown, and covered with long scales in transverse rows; its head is scaly, brown mixed with white, of the size of a horse's and nearly the shape of a dog's; the mouth is large, with teeth like a shark; its tail is compressed, obtuse, and shaped like an oar. This animal came in August last into the bay of Massachusetts, in pursuit of shoals of fishes, herrings, squids, &c. on which it feeds. Its motions are very quick; it was seen by great many, but all attempts to catch it have failed, although $5000 has been offered for its spoils. It is evidently a real Sea-Snake, belonging probably to the genus Pelamis, and I propose to call it Pelamis megophias, which means great sea-snake Pelamis. It might however be a peculiar genus, which the long equal scales seem to indicate, and which a closer examination might have decided: in that case the name of Megophias monstruosus might have been appropriated to it.

2. Capt. Brown's Sea Serpent. This fish was observed by capt. Brown in a voyage from America to St. Petersburg, in July, 1816, near 60 N. latitude and 8 W. longitude, or north of Ireland. In swimming, the head, neck, and fore part of the body stood upright like a mast; it was surrounded by porpoises and fishes. It was smooth without scales, and had 8 gills under the neck, which decidedly

evinces that it is not a Snake, but a new genus of fish! belonging to the eighth order Tremapnea,28th family Ophictia, and third sub-family Catremia, along with the genera Sphagebranchus and Synbranchus of Bloch, which differ by having only one or two round gills under the neck. I shall call this new genus OCTIPOS (meaning 8 gills beneath), whose characters will be-body round, without scales, (or fins,) head depressed, mouth transverse, large, & transverse gills under the neck.And its specific name and definition will be Octipos bicolor. Dark brown above, muddy white beneath, head obtuse. Capt. B. adds, that the head was two feet long, the mouth 15 inches, and the eyes over the jaws similar to the horse's-the whole length might be 50 feet.

3. The Scarlet Sea-Serpent. This was observed in the Atlantic ocean by the captain and crew of an American vessel, from New-York, while reposing and coiled up, near the surface of the water, in the summer of 1816. It is very likely that it was a fish, and perhaps might belong to the same genus with the foregoing; I shall refer it thereto, with doubt, and name it Octipos? Coccineus.-Entirely of a bright crimson, head acute. Nothing further descriptive was added in the Gazettes where the account was given, except that Its length was supposed to be about 40

feet.

4. Lake Erie Serpent. It appears that our large lakes have huge serpents or fishes, as well as the sea. On the 3d July, 1817, one was seen in lake Erie, 3 miles from land, by the crew of a schooner, which was 35 or 40 feet long, and one foot in diameter; its colour was a dark mahogany, nearly black. This account is very imperfect, and does not even notice if it had scales; therefore, it must remain doubtful whether it was a snake or a fish. I am inclined to believe it was a fish, until otherwise convinced; it might be a gigantic species of eel, or a species of the above genus Octipos. Until seen again, and better described, it may be recorded under the name of Anguilla gigas, or gigantic eel.

ADDITIONS.

1. The Pelamis megophias,or Great SeaSnake, appears to have left the shores of Massachusetts, and to have baffled the attempts to catch it, probably because those attempts were conducted with very little judgment. But a smaller snake, or fish, 9 feet long, and a strange shark have been taken, of which the papers give no description; let us hope that they will be described by the naturalists of Boston.

2. It appears that another large species of Water-Snake is noticed by D. Felix Azara, in his travels in South America, (Paris, 1809. 4 vol. 8vo.) under the name of Curiyu, which may belong to the genus Pelamis, although this worthy traveller has omitted to describe its tail and scales. It may be called and characterized as follows:

Pelamis curis. (Curiyu. Azara tray. Vol. I. p. 226.) Spotted and variegated, of black and yellowish white.

It measures over 10 feet, and is ofthe size of the leg; it lives in the lakes and rivers of Paraguay, north of the 31st degree of latitude. It goes sometimes on land (and shrubs), but moves heavily thereon; it has a dreadful aspect, but does not bite itlives on fishes, young otters, apereas and copibaras.

3. The Water-Snake of Lake Erie has been seen again, and described to be of a copper colour, with bright eyes, and sixty feet long. It is added, that at a short distance balls had no effect on him; but it is omitted to mention whether it was owing to having hard scales, (in which case it might be a real snake of the genus Enhydris or Pelamis) or to the indexterity of the marksman.

4. Mr. W. Lee has brought to notice another Sea-Snake, seen by him many years ago, near Cape Breton and Newfoundland, which was over 200 feet long, with the back of a dark green; it stood on the water in flexuous hillocks, and went through it with impetuous noise. This appears to be the largest on record, and might well be called Pelamis monstruosus; but if there are other species of equal size, it must be called then Pelamis chloronotis, or green-back Pelamis.

5. Dr. Samuel Mitchill has exhibited to the Lyceum of Natural History, at the sitting of the 15th September, the specimen of a species of Sea-Snake from his museum, sent him some years ago from Guadaloupe, by Mr. Ricord de Mariana, which appears to be another new species, belonging to the genus Enhydris, to which the name of Enhydris annularis may be given: we shall add its definition and description.

Enhydris annularis. Ringed Enhydris whitish, ringed with black, rings broader on the back, which is cinereous and rather angular in the middle; tail broad, short,obtuse, with 70 pairs of scales underneath, more than 200 pairs of abdominal scales.

This animal is about 18 inches long, co vered with smooth and roundish scales above, the head is depressed, obtuse, small,

covered with similar scales, and nearly black, the lips are white; a white half ring sets on the nape of the neck, and extends on each side over the eyes; a black line connects the eyes with the nostrils; an oblong white band lays below the head, longitudinally; the nostrils are round, the mouth is small and with a few small teeth; the body is cylindrical, but the back is slightly carinated towards its centre, and of an ash colour; the black rings are narrow underneath. The tail is only two inches long, very compressed; the extremity is broader, obtuse, tipped with white, and has a slight lateral angle on each side, or a protuding longitudinal nerve; a similar appearance is perceptible on the upper and lower edges, which appear to be thickened; the whole tail is covered with large scales of a transverse and broad shape.

This snake is found in the West Indies, in the sea, particularly on the shores of the Island of Guadaloupe.

6. A fabulous account of a great WaterSnake that, according to the Indian tradition, dwelt in ancient times in a lake near Philadelphia, may be seen in Dr. Barton's Medical and Physical Journal, Vol. 2, p. 168. As other Indian traditions, relating to the mammoth, the megalonx, &c. it may be partly founded on truth.

7. The great Sea-Snake has been seen again towards the middle of September, in the bay of Massachusetts, and three yellow collars observed on its neck, which has led some to believe it might be another individual and species; but this circumstance might have been overlooked before it is not stated whether it had streaks of a lighter hue on the body, as the first was represented to have by some witnesses. It is therefore likely that the two characters of "streaks of a lighter hue on the body, and three yellow collars on the neck," may be added to its description. The collars are described as about 2 inches broad and 1 foot apart.

8. Dr. Mitchill informs me that General Hawkins has written a Memoir on the Sea-Serpents of Massachusetts, which he has sent, with a drawing to Sir Joseph Banks; it is a paper of some length, and much interest, as it relates facts and all the circumstances attending the appearance and natural history of those huge animals, taken upon the oaths of eyewitnesses. He attempts to prove, with much probability, that several individuals have been seen, and two at least, if not three species; one with three collars, another without any, and a smaller one.

5.

Extracts from the Journal of Mr.› Charles Le Raye, relating to some new Quadrupeds of the Missouri Region, with Notes by C. S. R.

A concise and interesting Topographical Description of the state of Ohio, Indiana Territory and Louisiana, &c. was published at Boston in 1812, in a small 12mo. volume, by an anonymous writer, styling himself a late Officer of the U.S. Army. To this work, an account of the Indian tribes East and West of the Mississippi, is added; and likewise, the Journal of Mr. Le Raye while a captive with the Sioux nation, on the waters of the Missouri. This Journal occupies from page 158 to 204, and is replete with useful and valuable geographical information and natural observations.

Mr. Charles Le Raye, who appears to have been a Canadian trader, and an intelligent man, was going, in 1801, to trade with the Osage nation, when, on the 23d of October, he was made a prisoner and plundered, by a party of Sioux or Nadowessies, who were then at war with the Osages. He remained their captive until the 26th April, 1815, and during that pe riod visited many nations on both sides of the Missouri, such as the Ricaras, Mandans, Minetarrees, and the Crow, the Flat-head and Snake Indians. He was allowed to accompany a hunting party of Minetarrees (or Menitures or Gros-ventres) to the plain of the Yellow Stone river, and the upper plains of the Missouri, near the Rocky Mountains. Those excursions enabled him to observe many of the new and rare Quadrupeds of those regions, and he appears to have been the first observer, who has noticed them with accuracy, and whose observations have been communicated to the public: Since such observations of Captains Lewis and Clarke, as relate to those parts, were only made between 1804 and 1806, and not published until 1814.

Those circumstances will render Mr. Le Raye's observations particularly interesting. It is from intelligent travellers that naturalists derive their most correct and accurate materials: I consider those furnished by Mr. Le Raye as highly valuable, mostly new, and entitled to priority; wherefore they claim the attention of all those who shall feel any share of interest in the study of the animals of North America: and I have been induced to collect them together and illustrate them by appropriate notes or comments, hoping thereby to render them of more easy access and utility.

Page 165.-"During our stay,

Note. This concise description is sufficiently accurate to enable us to ascertain that it belongs to a new species of deer, unknown east of the Mississippi, to which I shall give the name of Corvus macrourus, which means long tailed deer; it may be characterized as follows-horns somewhat depressed, shorter than the head, body brownish above, white below, tail elongated.

2. Page 168.-"An animal is found in these plains (on the Sioux river, north of the Missouri) called the Prairie chien, or meadow dog. It is smaller than the gray fox, and formed much like the dog. Its ears are pointed and stand erect, and the whole head very much resembles the dog. Its tail is long, slim, and of a dun colour. It digs holes and burrows in a light loamy soil, and in the same holes a small speckled snake takes shelter, which the Indians call the dog's guard. The Indians have many superstitious notions respecting these dogs. The Ayno-wars or Nez percés nation, have a tradition that the human race sprang from this dog and the beaver. All other nations hold them in great veneration."

Note. A very imperfect description of this new species of fox, which I shall name Canis chlorops, (green eyed fox, or meadow fox) as it is probably the same species better described in Lewis and Clarke's travels, vol. i. p. 207. Its definition, drawn from both accounts, may he-tail elongated, strait and dun colour, ears long and pointed, eyes green, fur pale reddish brown.

3. Page 168.-"A kind of deer is frequently killed here, (on the Sioux river) called mule deer. It is smaller and of a darker colour than the red deer, having large branched horns. The ears are very large, the tail about five inches long with short dark hair, and at the end a tuft composed of long black hair.

Note. This short account is however characteristic; it belongs to my Cervus hemionus (mule deer) a new species, akin to the Cervus melanurus, or black tail deer. Its description will be-horns very branched, longer than the head, ears Pongated, body of a reddish brown, tail wn with a black tuft at the end.

4. Page 169." A species of the badger, called prarow, inhabits these plains, (those of the Sioux river.) Its head much resembles the dog; legs short and very thick in proportion to its body, armed with long, sharp claws, well adapted to digging. The size of the body somewhat exceeds the ground bog; hair of a dark brown colour, and tail visibly resembling that of a ground hog. It burrows and hedges in the ground."

Note. By this notice, the animal might be a marmot or Arctomys instead of a badger, but as it is called such by Le Raye, I will consider it as a new species of badger, which may be named and characterized as follows-Melesium pratense (meadow badger,) entirely of a dark brown, tail bushy, long claws.

5. Page 187.-"Here, (on the Yellow Stone river) we killed several Rocky Mountain sheep. The male, or mountain ram, is considerably larger than the female, and has much longer horns. The horns of the male which we killed, measured three feet in length, and five inches diameter, at his head. This animal is taller than a deer, and has a larger body. It is covered with soft hair of a dun colour, gradually becoming of a lighter colour towards the belly, which is entirely white. Its horns are shaped, in many respects, like the horns of rams, or the common sheep, bending backwards, but have many rough knots. Its tail resembles that of the red deer. The legs and feet resemble the sheep, but the hoofs somewhat longer. It is swift, and climbs the clefts of rocks with so much agility and ease, that no other animal can follow it, and by this means it escapes the wolves. Its flesh is esteemed equal to that of the decr." A figure of this animal is annexed.

Note. This species of sheep has been well described by Geoffroy in the annals of the Museum of Paris, vol. 2, page 360, and Desmarets has given to it the name of Ovis cervina in the new Dictionary of Natural History, vol. 24, page 5, 1614. Yet some American Naturalists persist in the wrong belief that it is the same animal as the argali of Siberia, or Ovis ammon. It has been well distinguished by being denominated an animal with the body of a deer, and the head of a ram. It is called big-horn by some other travellers.

6. Page 139.-"We only hunted the buffalo, mountain sheep and Cabree. A party was sent to gain the summit of a ridge, so as to pass over the other side,