180 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Mar., 



venter of this adult did not impress us as salmon-colored. The 

 total length is 223 mm. and the tail 34 mm,, or 6| times in the total 

 length. In other specimens from other regions the short tail ranges 

 from 5|-7j in the total length. The longest specimen of this species 

 we have seen reached 283 mm. There is no particular deviation 

 from the normal in the scutellation of this specimen. The eye 

 rests on the 4th supralabial and on the posterior end of the third 

 supralabial. The ventral plates are 134, the subcaudals 37. 



Habits. — -This specimen was found a rod from the thick, swampy 

 cypress edge of Billy's Island. Associated with it was one of the 

 few salamanders found on the trip. The ground was decidedly 

 moist, yet the vegetation was of the pine-barren type. Inasmuch 

 as it was under the cover of a more or less disintegrated log when 

 taken (mid-forenoon), we conclude that it is distinctly a nocturnal 

 form. This specimen had no food within its alimentary tract, but 

 its habitat and previous assertions regarding its food suggest that 

 it feeds on worms, larvae of insects, etc. 



Breeding. — It is well established that this species is ovo viviparous. 

 Hay^^ (p. 397) discovered a female with 5 embryos. Strecker (p. 50)*^ 

 has a specimen with seven embryos, and Ditmars (1907, p. 272) 

 records that a captive "gave birth to seven young on the 20th of 

 August." This lone female, secured June 15, 1912, has six embryos. 

 These masses in length range from 15-18 mm.; in width from 6-7 

 mm. The membrane about each is practically transparent; the 

 embryo lays in the middle of one side presenting an apparent cephalic 

 and caudal yolk mass which actually on the opposite side proves 

 continuous from one end to the other. 



In this species we discovered no parasites, external or internal, 

 and of its enemies know nothing. 



16. Thamnophis sauritus saokeni (Kennicott) : Southern Ribbon Snake; Southern Riband 

 Snake; Osten-Sacken's Snake. Fig. 13. 



Ten specimens in all were taken within the swamp. Its occurrence 

 in Okefinokee Swamp proves interesting in the light of Ruthven's 

 distribution map for this species. He considers it still a question 

 whether this species goes north of the Florida-Georgia line. Of it 

 he writes :^^ 



^ Hay, O. P. The Batrachians and Reptiles of the State of Indiana, pp. 409- 

 610, Indiana Dept. Geol. and Nat. Resources, 17th Ann'l Rept. 1891. Indianapo- 

 Hs, 1892. 



*8 Strecker, J. K., Jr. Contributions to Texan Herpetology, Baylor Univ. Bull., 

 Vol. XII, No. 1, January, 1909. 



" Ruthven, A. G. Variations and Genetic Relationships of the Garter Snakes, 

 U. S. N. M. Bull., No. 61, p. 108. 



