354 KANSAS UNIVERSITY SCIENCE BULLETIN. 



In 1880 F. W. Cragin published a list of Kansas snakes. The 

 list includes thirty-two species, but the writer, after having ex- 

 amined all of the important collections of snakes in the state, 

 has failed to find the following species and subspecies given in 

 the list : Heterodon simus, Eutsemia marciana, Eutsenia saurita, 

 Coluber confinis, Coluber mdpinus, Tropidonotus sipedon erythrog as- 

 ter, and Diadophis amabilis. Heterodon srmus, EutR.mia marciana 

 and Eutamia saurita are listed principally on the authority of 

 Mozley. As Cragin's list is a compilation not verified by him- 

 self, I shall need further evidence before including the eight 

 species given above as Kansas snakes. 



In this paper nearly all species that have been reported from 

 Kansas are described, but those that the writer has not met 

 with during his investigations are marked doubtful. The 

 writer has examined the collections at the State University, 

 State-house, Washburn College, Ottawa University, State Nor- 

 mal School, State Agricultural College, and several high schools 

 in the state, is familiar with the local fauna of Brown, Doug- 

 las and Republic counties, has collected in the central, north- 

 ern, .eastern, southern and western parts of the state, and 

 believes that if he has not met with any specimens of a species 

 there are good grounds for believing that that species is not 

 found in Kansas. Thirty-nine species and subspecies are listed 

 in this paper. The localities where specimens have been cap- 

 tured are given with descriptions. 



The nomenclature used by Cope in his " Crocodilians, Lizards, 

 and Snakes" (1900) has been used in this work, excepting 

 where change seemed absolutely necessary. In such cases the 

 nomenclature employed by Brown (5, 1901) is used. The 

 synonymic lists are taken from the works above mentioned. 

 The common names used are those given by Yarrow in his 

 "Check-list of Reptilia and Batrachia." 



The descriptions given in this paper are for the most part 

 based upon living specimens ; where this is not the case it is 

 noted in the description. Alcohol and formalin do not preserve 

 colors, so that descriptions of preserved specimens are not en- 

 tirely satisfactory. Ridgeway's "Nomenclature of Colors" has 

 been used as a guide in determining colors. Many of the draw^- 

 ings are original, having been made by the author. All bor- 



