148 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Mar., 



which includes insects in its diet to any extent is the southern riband 

 snake. One must be impressed with the immense abundance of the 

 reptihan forms, the restricted island quarters for these reptiles and 

 the need of great numbers to keep each species existent under such 

 strenuous vicissitudes. Each form, fish, amphibian, reptile, bird 

 or mammal, has untold foes which are close at hand, fellow-travellers 

 of the same course and seekers of the same breeding grounds already 

 crowded. Never have we been so struck with the incessant warfare 

 of primeval nature as on these islands of the Okefinokee. 



Another very interesting fact is the isolated nature of the place 

 where these 165 snakes were taken. They are virtually a collection 

 of Billy's Island ophidians with a few other islands and portions 

 of the swamp represented. Our series of each species becomes, 

 therefore, very significant if several variants appear. They cannot 

 be designated as geographical subspecies or varieties and must be 

 considered only as indicating the inherent range of variation which 

 a species may manifest in one limited geographical region, not what 

 might appear in an extensive or expansive stretch of territory. 

 Hence, the value of the material, though not as numerous as might 

 be desired. 



Without doubt, many of the conclusions and observations in this 

 paper are not new and are only corroborative of previous work, but 

 they may have interest because of their independent nature. The 

 more significant conclusions are: 



1. That Tropidonotus fasciatus and most of its subspecies, T. 

 compressicaudus, T. ustus, T. bisectus and T. rhomhifera, need to be 

 restudied before they can be finally accepted. 



2. That Elaphe obsoletus confinis, E. o. lemniscatus, E. spiloides, 

 E. Icetus and E. quadrivittatiis are too closely intergradient to be so 

 distinctly designated. 



3. That LampropeUis getulus getulus, L. g. sayi and L. g. splendidus- 

 are possibly variations within one region. 



4. That Thamnophis sirtalis ordinatus is the color form of the 

 Okefinokee, though its recognition as a good subspecies may be 

 questionable. 



5. That LampropeUis d. coccineus and Osceola elapsoidea are to be 

 considered one and the same. 



6. That Diadophis a. stictogenys is not deserving of separation 

 from Diadophis punctatus. 



7. That Farancia ahacura may have white-bellied forms as well 



