58 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



ty: Good Hope Twp. (OSM 355.1; TZS 1543-53); 2 mi. S of Logan. Jackson 

 County: 4 mi NW of Jackson (DOR); Canter's Cave, Jackson Twp. (TZS 733); 

 White's Gorge, Liberty Twp. (TZS 307). Jefferson County: Yellow Creek (TZS 

 1638). Knox County: Brinkhaven (TZS 176; OSM 366.4). Lake County: 

 Mentor Marsh. Mentor Twp. (TZS 1410); 3 mi. S of PainesviUe (DOR). 



Lawrence County: Near Arabia, Aid Twp. (TZS 505). Licking County: 

 (Morse, 1904); Black Hand Gorge. Hanover Twp. (TZS 1910); Johnstown (OSM 

 356). Lorain County: Oberlin (OC). Marion County: 4 mi. N of Marion 

 (DOR). Meigs County: Syracuse (DOR). Monroe County: Green Twp. 

 (DOR); Ohio Twp. (DOR); 1 mi. N of Woodsfield (TZS 1304). Montgomery 

 County: Near Vandalia (Conant, 1930). MoRROW CoUNTY: Gilead Twp. (TZS 

 759). Muskingum County: Adams Mills (OSM 431.1); Blue Rock Twp. (OSM 

 467) ; Hopewell. Hopewell Twp. (TZS 2407) ; NE corner of Madison Twp. (TZS 

 1507); Philo (OSM 370.1 -.3). Noble County: 3 mi. E of Caldwell (DOR). 

 Ottawa County: Put-in-Bay (BGSU). Paulding County: Antwerp (OEE; TZS 

 1758). Pickaway County: Jackson Twp. (OSM 88). Pike County: 4 mi W of 

 Morgantown (TZS 674); 2 mi. N of Piketon (DOR). Portage County: Solon 

 Bog, Aurora Twp. (CMNH). Preble County: Camden (OSM 228). Ross 

 County: Paint Creek at Copperas Mt., Paxton Twp. (TZS 1100); 2 mi. E of 

 Richmondale (DOR). SciOTO CoUNTY: Yi mi. N of Rushtown (DOR); near Sedan 

 (TZS 1444); Shawnee Forest, Union Twp. (OSM 232). Shelby County: Jackson 

 Center (TZS 1039). Trumbull County: 1!/2 mi. W of Mesopotamia (DOR). 

 Tuscarawas County: Dover (CSNH 1875 A-B). Vinton County: Dundas 

 (DOR); Knox Twp. (DOR); Near Prattsville (DOR). Warren County: 

 Waynesville (CSNH 325 A-I). Washington County: Bartlett (USNM 50003— 

 dicephalous) ; Marietta (MC) ; Palmer Twp. Wayne County : Near Overton (WC). 

 Wood County: Beaver Creek midway between Grand Rapids and Weston (TZS 

 376); Cygnet (BGSU); Lime City (TZS 50). Wyandot County: Near Carey 

 (TZS 679). 



Habitat and Habits. — The pilot black snake, common in many parts of the 

 state, occurs in a wide variety of habitats. Specific situations in which it was 

 collected included river bottoms, abandoned canal beds, woods, open or 

 wooded hillsides, ravines, cliffs, ledges and the vicinity of abandoned sawdust 

 piles. Few were taken at any great distance from woods or thickets but rocky 

 hillsides were also favored. A number of specimens, and especially those about 

 to shed their skins or lay eggs, were found hidden beneath such objects as 

 stones, logs, bark slabs, etc. On cool or very warm days specimens rarely 

 were seen abroad. They were often arboreal and occasionally were found in 

 trees at a considerable distance from the ground. 



The pilot black snake is a slow moving animal when compared with the 

 racers. While it can travel with a fair degree of speed, most specimens were 

 caught with comparative ease unless shelter was available close by; a number 

 remained motionless until they were grasped in the hand. This habit and the 

 fact that it often crosses highways or suns itself upon them makes the pilot 

 black snake an easy target for its human enemies. The frequency with which it 

 is run over and the many which were found killed, even in the more remote 

 areas, would indicate that it soon may become a rare snake in the state. 



Most specimens showed fight when first caught. Many struck repeatedly 

 from a position in which the neck was drawn backward in a graceful curve 

 and the mouth was held open in readiness. Occasional specimens were phleg- 

 matic and offered little or no resistance, but they were the exception. The 



