156 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Mar., 



side, and two others (Nos. 6,178 and 6,205), both small mdividuals, 

 have 2 loreals on one side and 1 on the other. Another (No. 6,204) 

 has 2 loreals on one side and 3 on the other, if an extra scale between 

 the oculars, loreals and 3d and 4th supralabials be called a loreal. 

 This small extra scale also occurs in No. 6,170. 



Habits. — This interesting snake proved very common around the 

 Lee's sandy clearing and in all dry parts of the swamp. It was the 

 first form to be observed and of it more specimens were taken than 

 of any other species. One might find it beside the trails or on the 

 islands where no human courses led. They were often taken about 

 and in the corn, "chufa, " "goober" and "yam" fields of the Lees, 

 where the snakes probably resort for breeding. Here it did not 

 seem to be solely a case of light-spotted phase for dry and sandy 

 places and dark phase in more woody and moist situations. In 

 the same open fields we find one phase one day and the other the 

 following day. In two instances we took adult spotted and black 

 phases within 40 feet of each other. We dare not make a distinction 

 between the two as to habitat, sex, food, etc., unless it be size or 

 age. In this case, often the oldest ones are not always black or 

 blackish, but they seem to tend that way. Of its "spreading" or 

 flattening we saw evidences, and the natives are well aware of the 

 assorted' defensive repertoire of this curious snake. They had none 

 of the superstitions about the emanations from it affecting the 

 atmosphere, nor did they believe that it "spat" its poison when 

 hissing. In all our captures we saw no particular signs of ill temper. 



Breeding. — This snake is oviparous. All through the month of 

 June we were finding the snakes in the planted fields of the Lees and 

 more than once almost stepped on the clumsy females of this species. 

 To these fields they came to lay their eggs, and throughout June 

 and later the boys were continually turning the eggs up to the surface 

 as they cultivated their fields in their primitive fashion. The eggs 

 invariably were in sandy soil and were usually 4 or 5 inches beneath 

 the surface. Sometimes in one set as many as 11 or 12 would be 

 found. One specimen (No. 6,175), taken June 3, 1912, had 22 eggs 

 far from ready for ovulation. Another specimen (No. 6,171) had 

 30 eggs, 16 on the right side and 14 on the left side. But the egg 

 complement may go beyond this 12-30 range. On June 19, Mr. 

 Paul Battle took a large Heterodon, from which he and one of the 

 authors squeezed 42 eggs. The females were not all of one phase: 

 some were black, others spotted. The above eggs were white with 

 much thinner integuments than those of the black snake and without 



