1915.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 181 



"As at present known, the range of sackeni is confined to the 

 southern part of the coastal plain, in southern Mississippi and 

 Florida. This physically recent feature with its low altitude (nowhere 

 more than a few hundred feet above sea level) is characterized by 

 scores of stagnant rivers, lakes, lagoons and swamps. The tem- 

 perature and humidity are high and the rainfall-evaporation ratio 

 exceeds 110 per cent. (Transeau, 1905). The vegetation is rich, and 

 consists of such forms as white cedar, sweet bay, magnolia, tupelo 

 gum, swamp cottonwood, cypress, Quercus texana, etc., in the swamps, 

 and several species of pines on the higher ground. As far as I have 

 been able to find, the form has never been recorded outside of Florida, 

 although Ditmars (1907, p. 219) states that it is distributed in the 

 'coast regions of South Carolina and Georgia; Florida generally.' 

 Certainly, typical sackeni may be expected to occur somewhat north 

 of the latitude of the northern boundary of Florida, but in this 

 general region it comes in contact with sauritus, and the status of 

 the two forms in the intermediate region must be examined before 

 the northern boundary of sackeni can be even approximately fixed. 

 I must confess to have examined but few specimens from the debat- 

 able region, but the fact that sauritus specimens from the coastal 

 plain from North Carohna northward show a much closer affinity 

 to sackeni than those from central Alabama would seem to indicate 

 that true sackeni pushes farther up the Atlantic coast than in the 

 interior, possibly into Georgia and South Carolina, as Ditmars 

 indicates, which might also be expected in view of its more aquatic 

 habits and its association with the coastal plain conditions through- 

 out the greater part of its range." 



Coloration. — A color description of a live specimen captured on 

 Billy's Lake is as follows: 



The venter is opalescent with an opalescent coppery brown on 

 the ends of the gasfcrosteges. In water the two lower rows of scales 

 look greenish-brassy and the lateral stripe straw-colored. The row 

 above the lateral stripe is bordered by a line of black specks; the 

 back scales are olive and the dorsal row, much like in color the two 

 lowest side rows, is defined on either side by fine black specks. The 

 dorsal row is practically absent on the caudal two-thirds of the 

 body. Black postocular stripe over the upper labials. Three other 

 specimens in life did not impress us as rich brown or dark as T. 

 sauritus and appeared more slender. 



Supplementary notes of color from alcohol and formol specimens 

 are: In some specimens, the dorsal stripe extends to a position 



