THE REPTILES OF OHIO . 215 



appearing essentially as but a single scale) in 7 instances. The last-mentioned 

 condition occurs in only five specimens. If all scales in the last two categorirs 

 are considered as being "fused" (the chief diagnostic characteristic of the sub- 

 species helenae) , then this condition exists in 82.4^/f of the instances. In 

 sixtv-seven (73.6'' r) of the specimens the scales are completely fused on both 

 sides of the head. 



Dladophis punctatus edwardsii (Merrem) 

 Northern Ring-Necked Sn.m<e 



(Page 37; maps 7 and 44; plate 4, fig. 2) 



New records for Diadophis are: 



Adams County: Green Twp. (SL 419). Ashland County: Mohican State Park 

 (SL 484). Athlns County: Athens (OUVC 2462); 7 mi. SE of Athens (OU\'C 

 1378); Buchtel (OUVC 2210). Buti.lr County: Reily (Fichter, 1947). Carroll 

 County: Near Amsterdam. Loudon Twp. (FWB). Clermont County: (SL 440-1). 

 Geauga Counts: South Bos, Burton (CMNH 69). Hamilton County: Mi. 

 Airy Park, Cincinnati (UC 14A-B). HoCKlNG CoUNTY: Cantwell Cliffs (WED 30); 

 Cedar Fails (SL 348-9); Good Hope Twp. (OSM 570.1-2. 571.1-4. 828); Old 

 Man's Cave (WED 29, 187); Salt Creek. W of Ash Cave (OUVC 1852); Salt 

 Creek. Woodyeard Hollow, Benton Twp. (OUX'C 1826); Salt Creek Twp. (OSM 



338). Jackson County: Liberty Twp. (OUVC 1252, 1269); Scioto Twp. (OUVC 

 346). Lawrence County: Southern Decatur Twp. (UMMZ 95971). Miami Coun- 

 ty: Ludlow Falls (DPLM 66-7.44). Montgomery Counts': Germantown Dam, Ger- 

 man Twp. (DPLM 241-2.44); Sunderland Falls (WED 251). Ottawa County: 

 Near Port Clinton (OSM 678.1-2). Pickaway Counts': Pickaway Twp. (OSM 

 718). Pike Countv; (DPLM 188-9.42, 228.42); S of Buchanan. Pebble Twp. 

 (OSM 760); Egyptian Hollow (DPLM 368.44. 606.44); Old Baldy (DPLM 

 90.44); Pike Lake (DPLM 84.44, 89.44, 386.44, 602-3.44, 644-6.44); Pike State 

 Forest (WED 31-4); Richardson and Egyptian Hollows (USNM 128922); 12 ml. E 

 of Sinking Springs (WED 35-6). Preble County : 2 mi. S of Camdtn (MU 13-14). 

 Ross County: Higby (OSM 835.1-2). Scioto Counts': Nile Twp. (OSM 644.1- 



2); Roosevelt Game Preserve, Nile Twp. (OSM 895.1-3; UMMZ 98739A-B) ; 

 Shawnee State Forest (WED 259). StarK CoUNTi': Canton (OSM 879). Summit 

 County: Northfield Twp. (CZP 14). Vinton County: Brown Twp. (OUVC 113. 



2423-4) : Lake Hope (OUVC 2374) ; 2 mi. S of Lake Hope (HTG) ; Zpleski State 

 Forest (OUVC 1861. 1865). Warren County: Ft. Ancient. Washington Twp. 

 (OSM 650; WED 203). Washington County: (OSM 677). Wood has also seen 

 a specimen from near Bellbrook, Greene County. Van Gundy has obtained evidence in- 

 dicating that rmgnecks still cccur near Sylvania. Lucas County; he found one dead on 

 the road near there during the summer of 1947 and another during 1948. 



Nine new counties are represented above and four of them lie in extreme 

 southwestern Ohio, an area from which records have heretofore been relatively 

 few. Habitat notes on specimens recently collected in that part of the state 

 may be summarized as follows: Almost all were taken in or near wooded 

 ravines and all were hiding beneath rocks, under the bark of decaying logs, 

 bark slabs, etc. One, found in a pasture, was under a flat stcne in a rock pi'e 

 in an open sunny area; in this case a stream bank, covered with mixed "hard- 

 woods," was near-by. 



Four ring-necked snakes from scattered localities in unglaciatcd Ohio have 

 an unusually large number of black spots on the ventral scutes; these markings 

 are arranged in a more or less continuous row .ind are about as large and 



