232 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



IVl mi. SE of Indian Lake (WED 73-4); Liberty Twp. (OSM 507). Marion 

 County: Olentanoy River. Richland Twp. (OSM 611). Miami County: (USNM 

 129031); near Covington (WED 372); Ludlow Falls (DPLM 612-21.44; WED 

 72, 324; USNM 129028-30); Stillwater River. I mi. N of Montgomery Co. line 

 (Wood, 1949). Montgomery County: (USNM 128999-129012); Centerville 

 (WED 176, 194-6. 300); Dayton (DPLM 112.42, 17.43, 101.44); SE of Dayton 

 (DPLM 319.44); Englewood Dam. Randolph Twp. (DPLM— 25 specs.; WED 69- 

 70. 86; USNM 128974-98); Germantown Dam, German Twp. (Wood & Duelman, 

 1947b); Northrldge (DPLM 53-68.45; USNM 128971-3); Tayiorsvilie Dam, Butler 

 Twp. (DPLM 569.44, 572-80.44; USNM 128965-70); Wolf Creek, Harrison Twp. 

 (DPLM 632.44). Paulding County: Antwerp (OEE — 4 specs.). Preble Coun- 

 ty: 1 mi. E of Camden (USNM 129015); 2 mi. S of Camden (MU 6-7, 15); 

 Gratis (USNM 129013-4). Scioto County: Roosevelt Game Preserve (WED 75). 

 Seneca County: I mi. N of Bloomville (CZP 2). Shelby County: Mill Creek, 2 

 mi. NE of Lockington (WED 249). Summit County: Northfield Twp. (CZP 1). 

 Vinton County: Salt Creek at Hocking County line (OUVC 1858A-B). Warren 

 County: Fort Ancient (UMMZ 96913-4); P/z mi. SSE of Roachester (WED 221- 

 2); 1 mi. W of Waynesville (WED 77-9); 5 mi. SW of Waynesville (WED 303). 

 Washington County: Marietta (OUVC 602). 



Records are still lacking from a small block of southern counties (Athens, 

 Meigs, Jackson, Gallia, etc.). Both Mittleman and Gier, who did much field 

 work in that part of Ohio, failed to find septemvittata there. The species 

 probably will turn up eventually, but some explanation for its apparent scar- 

 city may be found in the nature of the streams of the region. Evidently one 

 (or more) of the optimum conditions outlined by Wood (see below) is miss- 

 ing in these counties. The absence of records from Pike County is also 

 surprising in view of the intensive field work done there during the past 

 decade. 



Several papers on Natrix septemvittata in Ohio have been published during 

 the past few years (Wood, 1944; Triplehorn, 1949; Wood, 1949; and Wood 

 and Duellman, 1950). Collectively, these authors have presented so much 

 data, in the form of field and laboratory observations and statistical summari- 

 zations, that the queen snake is now certainly one of the best studied reptiles 

 in the state. Their respective publications must be consulted for details, but 

 the bulk of the following paragraphs constitute an abstract of the more impor- 

 tant facts contained therein. 



Wood's 1949 contribution is concerned with the results of his field work 

 in southwestern Ohio from 1940 to 1947 during which time more than 1,000 

 specim.ens passed through his hands. He points out that, in some parts of the 

 Miami Valley, septemvittata is extremely abundant, even in certain of the 

 larger rivers. He believes that three conditions must be met if an area is to 

 support a large population of queen snakes. These are: 



1. A permanent water area, either running or still, in which the wafer remains at 



or above 65 degrees Fahrenheit during most of the active season of Nalr'ix 

 septemviilata ; 



2. An abundance of cover, usually in the form of flat rocks lying partly in the 



water, partly on the bank; and 



3. An abundance of crayfish (genus Camharus). 



During the hot summer months all specimens were found in the water or 

 beneath rocks; in early spring and late fall queen snakes were often seen sun- 



