94 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



Habitat and Habits. — While Storer's snake was collected in a variety of 

 habitats, all of the latter agreed in one thing — they exhibited a fair amount 

 of moisture. Thus individuals were found in bogs, wet meadows, moist woods, 

 in rotting sawdust piles, along roadside ditches and about abandoned farm 

 buildings such as are so prevalent in Ashtabula County. They were highly 

 secretive and practically all were discovered by overturning boards and stones 

 or bursting open rotten logs. 



All were inoffensive and while they exuded musk when handled, none 

 attempted to bite. Collecting dates ranged from April to September, inclu- 

 sive. In northeastern Ohio they often were found in association with DeKay's 

 snakes and were taken at least once with each of the other common snakes of 

 the region. In the southern part of the state other secretive species, such as 

 the milk, worm and ring-necked snakes were collected at the same time as 

 Storer's snakes and in similar habitats. 



In the stomach of a red-tailed hawk collected at Freedom Station, Portage 

 County, October 28, 1932, for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 

 the remains of 15 small snakes were found. These were 7 Storer's snakes, 

 6 DeKay's snakes and 2 common garter snakes. Hawks and predatory mam- 

 mals are doubtless frequent enemies of the smaller snakes. 



The food of Storer's snake consists of slugs (Hay 1892a, 498; Surface, 

 1906, 137; Ditmars, 1936, 178), and earthworms and beetle larvae (Ditmars, 

 loc. cit.) . Captives have eaten earthworms. 



A female 12yg inches in length collected August 20, 1932, in the Pymatun- 

 ing Swamp, Ashtabula County, gave birth to 8 young August 23, 1932. 

 These ranged in length from 3% to 4 inches. Two females collected during 

 July, 1929, in Monroe Twp., Ashtabula County, each contained 15 embryos. 

 Blanchard (1937b, 161-2) summarizes his observations on 77 broods of young 

 in northern Michigan. He found that the young varied in that region from 

 1 to 13, average 7.18, in number, and from 67 to 98 mm., average 85.94 mm., 

 in length. 



Virginia valeriae valeriae Baird and Girard 

 Ground Snake 



Description. — A small snake which may attain a length of about a foot. 

 Largest adult Ohio specimen ( ? ), 12i/g inches in length; smallest specimen 

 5i/^ inches. Head small and somewhat distinct from neck. Eye moderately 

 small. Loreal long and narrow; no preocular. Two nasals; the nostril in the 

 prenasal. Body subcylindrical and medium stout; tail short and tapering 

 rapidly to a point. 



A study of six of the seven known specimens from Ohio (all of which 

 are preserved) reveals the following statistics: 



