250 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



remember an instance when, advancing in snail-like 

 fashion toward a particularly fine snake, that a mos- 

 quito imbedded its proboscis in his nose. Enduring the 

 torment as best he could, there was a partial relief in 

 observing the noose settle over the reptile's head, and 

 utter chagrin immediately following in the discovery 

 that a bramble, touching the sensitive wire, had caused 

 it to tremble slightly and alarm the snake, which, before 

 the writer could give a lightning-like pull at the pole 

 to tighten the noose, pulled back its head with a motion 

 as quick as the snapping of an elastic band and dove 

 into the water to reappear at a spot inaccessible for 

 noosing. 



Discouraging it was to see these serpentine prizes, 

 some gaily decorated with bands of red and yellow, 

 others golden-brown above with bright vermilion ab- 

 domen and all of large size, sunning in brilliant clusters 

 over the muddy waters and realize that but one, at the 

 most two, of the lot could be made captives. At the time 

 of writing, clusters of these serpents adorn the cages 

 of the Reptile House. What memories they recall of 

 the luxuriant lowgrounds and days of fever-inviting 

 labors ! 



Distributed throughout central Europe, western 

 and central Asia and Algeria, the Grass Snake, Wa- 

 ter Snake or Ringelnatter, T. matrix, as it is called 

 in various parts, is analogous, at least in distribution 

 and abundance, to the predominating Xew World gar- 

 ter snake (Eutcenia). The scales are keeled. Above, 

 the usual hue is olive gray with rows of small black 

 spots. The typical European phase is characteristically 

 marked about the head, having a broad yellow or white 

 collar, generally intensified by a black border posteriorly. 

 In southeastern Europe and Asia Minor is a variety 



