The discussion above demonstrates that the number of subcaudals and the ratio of tail length to total length are weak characteristics for diagnosing _T. g. gracilis_ and _T. g. hallowelli_. The only remaining diagnostic characteristic given by Kirn _et al._ (1949) is the number of ventrals. Nevertheless, a step-cline in the number of ventrals, if one exists, is yet to be demonstrated. Therefore, we completely agree with Dowling (1957:32), who stated that "... the overlap in each character is so great that any subspecific differences appear to be as yet undefined. It is here suggested that _T. gracilis_ be retained as binomial...." LITERATURE CITED BAIRD, S. F. and GIRARD, C. 1853. Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I.--Serpents. Smithsonian Misc. Colls., 2:1-172. BLANCHARD, F. N. 1938. Snakes of the genus _Tantilla_ in the United States. Zool. Ser. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., 20(28):369-376. CONANT, R. 1958. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 366 pp. COPE, E. D. 1900. The crocodilians, lizards, and snakes of North America. U. S. Nat. Mus. Rept. (1898), 153-1270. DOWLING, H. G. 1951. A proposed standard system of counting ventrals in snakes. British J. Herpetology, 1(5):97-99. 1957. A review of the amphibians and reptiles of Arkansas. Occas. Paps. Univ. Arkansas Mus., No. 3:1-51. DUNN, E. R. 1928. A tentative key and arrangement of the American genera of Colubridae. Bull. Antivenin Inst. Amer., 2 (147):18-24. FORCE, E. R. 1935. A local study of the opisthoglyph snake _Tantilla gracilis_ Baird and Girard. Papers Michigan Acad. Sci., Arts and Letters, 20:645-659. KIRN, A. J., BURGER, W. L., and SMITH, H. M. 1949. The subspecies of _Tantilla gracilis_. Amer. Midl. Nat., 42(1):238-251. PETERS, J. A. 1960. The snakes of the subfamily Dipsadinae. Misc. Pubis. Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, No. 114:1-224. 1964. Dictionary of herpetology. Hafner Publ. Co., New York, 392 pp. SCHMIDT, K. P. and DAVIS, D. D. 1941. Field book of snakes. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York, 365 pp. SMITH, H. M. and SANDERS, O. 1952. Distributional data on Texan amphibians and reptiles. Texas J. Sci., 4(2):204-219. TAYLOR, E. H. 1936. Notes and comments on certain American and Mexican snakes of the genus _Tantilla_, with descriptions of new species. Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 39:335-348. WRIGHT, A. H. and WRIGHT, A. A. 1957. Handbook of snakes. Comstock Publ. Assoc, Cornell, Vol. II, pp. 565-1105. _Department of Biology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, 87106, and Department of Zoology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, 85721._ _Transmitted July 11, 1967._ * * * * * Transcriber's Notes