1915.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA, 173 



shoot into the water sometimes the pied belly reveals that it is 

 T. taxispilotus, and not T. fosciatus or any of its subspecies. 



The pied water snakes are very large and in general very shy and 

 elusive. We had been in the swamp for 2h weeks before we cap- 

 tured our first specimens, although some of us passed them daily. 

 At first we had to shoot them as they rested in the open on branches 

 2-3| feet above the water. Then their capture was not always 

 certain, for we often lost them because of our caution in landing 

 them. The natives are afraid of them, and whoever has wounded 

 or had experiences with this species in its wild state knows they are 

 vicious and belligerent when hard pressed. The natives call them 

 "water moccasin" and consider them as poisonous as rattlesnakes 

 or true moccasins. Once when one of us was bitten by a medium- 

 sized specimen the Lees awaited the result with considerable solicitude 

 for the supposed unfortunate. After two weeks of attempts, we 

 were growing impatient because we had taken none of the largest 

 individuals, and "Alligator Joe," one of the visitors, when fishing, 

 stunned a "water moccasin" and considerately put it in the prow 

 of his boat. We had almost reached him when the snake revived, 

 and in the twinkling of an eye he had thrown his present into the 

 lake with his oar. Man and live "water moccasin" in the same 

 boat was not conceivable. And there is plenty of reason for our 

 common respect for this large water snake, which reaches 5 or barely 

 6 feet. The largest specimen secured measured 4| feet. Several 

 specimens in hand measure in girth from 7-8 inches, and we are 

 positive we have seen individuals with a circumference of 10-12 

 inches. Especially is this true of the females as the embryos develop. 

 Then the skin is so distended that j^ to | of an inch or more separates 

 each of the scales. 



Breeding. — This species is ovoviviparous. The specimens taken 

 in the middle of June showed the developmental stages little ad- 

 vanced. One specimen (No. 6,113), 2 feet 10 inches long, had only 

 14 embryos, while another, 4^ feet long and about 8 inches in circum- 

 ference, had 40 embryos. It is rather a significant fact that all the 

 larger individuals taken are females. Either the large males were 

 too fast for us or the females are larger or occupy more exposed 

 positions and may prove more sluggish or braver. The individuals 

 taken from July 15-November 1, 1912, showed the embryos much 

 farther advanced and some had unborn embryos 26 or more cm. long. 

 One specimen (No. 6,256) had 58 embryos, 32 on the left side and 

 26 on the right side. The normal number seems to be 35-40 embryos. 



