Number 87 June 24, 1920 OCCASIONAL PAPERS OF THE MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Ann Arbor, Michigan Published by the University A SYNOPSIS OF THE KING SNAKES: GENUS LAMPROPELTIS FITZINGER' By Frank N. Blanchard Owing to the probability of delay in publication of a complete monograph of the king snakes, which the writer now has in press, it has been deemed advisable to issue in advance this brief synopsis of the genus, in order to make immediately available the systematic results of the work. In the following key the various forms have been arranged in general according to their affinities, but only in so far as such arrangement coincides with simplicity and convenience. A sum-mary of the most useful systematic characters has been placed at the end to assist in confirming identifications made by the key. Genus Lampropeltis Fitzinger Diagnosis: Maxillary teeth 12 to 20, solid, slightly increasing or slightly decreasing in size posteriorly, subequal or the last two a little enlarged; mandibular teeth decreasing in size posteriorly; head usually not or but slightly distinct from the neck; eye Contributions from the Department of Zoology, University of Michigan.
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