THE REPTILES OF OHIO 49 



centipedes, earthworms and sow bugs." Captive specimens in the zoo ate 

 crickets. 



Blanchard (1933), who studied the eggs and young of this species, found 

 that the number of eggs in a clutch varied from 3 to 11 and that 7 was the 

 commonest number. He says, "the eggs are generally cyhndrical, with blunt- 

 rounded ends. The shell, or membrane, is white and opaque, and unusually 

 thin for a reptilian egg." His summary shows that the lengths of the eggs 

 varied from 19.5 to 34.0 mm. and widths from 8 to nearly 18 mm. Laying 

 dates were from July 24 to August 29, inclusive; hatching dates from August 

 5 to September 4, inclusive; the intervals from laying tc hatching varied from 

 4 to 23 days. His newly hatched snakes ranged from 101 to 166 mm. (4 to 

 61/2 inches) in length. 



Dymond and Fry (1932, 102) report the finding of a clutch of 7 eggs in 

 Ontario on August 1, 1931, and the discovery of pairs mating on August 18, 

 1931 and August 22, 1931. 



A specimen from Ira, Summit County, Ohio, collected August 8, 1926 

 contained 7 eggs. 



Coluber constrictor constrictor Linne 

 Black Racer; Black Snake 



Description. — A large snake which may attain a length of six feet. Largest 

 adult Ohio specimen ( 5 ), 591/4 inches; smallest newly hatched juvenile, 11% 

 inches. Head medium and somewhat distinct from neck. Eye large. Cephalic 

 plates normal. Nostrils large and between two nasals. Normally a single 

 loreal, but in two or three instances this scale split in two horizontally. Body 

 and tail slender, the latter whip-like and tapering to a point. 



Dorsal scale rows normally 17-15, but reduced in one specimen each from 

 Guernsey and Highland Counties, to 14 and 13, respectively, on posterior part 

 of body. Scales smooth. Upper labials 7, less often 8; lower labials 8 or 9, 

 rarely 10. Oculars 2-2, the lower preocular very small. Temporals 2-2-2, 

 rarely 1 or 3 in any row. Ventrals 173 to 184, average 178; subcaudals 85 to 

 101, average 93.8. Anal plate divided. 



Color above, including the top of head, uniform black or blackish. Color 

 below, usually uniform medium or dark grey, but inclining toward a deep olive 

 grey in some specimens. Throat and chin whitish but more or less heavily 

 marked posteriorly with blackish spots or blotches. Tip of snout, particularly 

 the rostral, occasionally brownish. 



Newly hatched juveniles bear a pattern of 52 to 65, average 57.9, deep 

 chestnut blotches (counting from the head to a point directly above the anus) 

 on a light grey or blue grey ground. These blotches, which average 9 to 11 

 scales wide and 2 to 5 scales long, are edged with black and become smaller 

 and less distinct posteriorly. A large number of blackish dots are sprinkled 

 irregularly below these blotches on either side and across the belly. The 

 ground color of the undersurface is whitish anteriorly to greyish posteriorly. 

 The throat and chin are unspotted and the top of the head is marbled with 



