104 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Nov. 



not balance over a stick or on the hand, however carefully the 

 adjustment is made as to weight; unless it is forcibly held, 

 one end always seems a little heavier than the other and the 

 body slides off to the ground. This comatose condition lasts 

 until the snake thinks the coast clear, when with a sudden jerk 

 it rights itself and if not again molested glides off quickh^ to the 

 nearest safe retreat ; but should it find that the attack is renewed 

 it goes through the whole process of dying over again. 



Fox Snakes, Elaphe vulpinus, were also common on the 

 same sand dunes. They are colored much like the Adder, 

 but are a slenderer and more gracefully-shaped snake. We 

 found them easily b}; following up their winding tracks in the 

 sand from willow clump to willow clump, and at last usually 

 discovered them under rotten logs. About the middle of .Tulv 

 we found three females under one log with almost a peck of 

 eggs. The eggs are elliptical in shape and covered with a tough 

 leatherlv shell that seems to stick together as fast as laid, making 

 clusters like bunches of grapes. 



In turning over the logs on the beach for snakes'^and mice 

 we also found considerable numbers of Bkie-tailed skinks, 

 Eumeces quinqMilineaius. These are locally called Swifts and 

 on a bright warm day the reason of this name is obvious, for 

 they run ver\-rapidlv, and it takes considerable agility to catch 

 them, espe9ially as care must be taken to grasping them by the 

 bodv and not bv the tail for the latter breaks off at the least 

 strain, leaving the tailless lizard free to vanish into the debris. 

 The young and half-grown individuals are most beautif^il little 

 creatures. All are of the most clean and shapely form with 

 pointed head, slender body, dainty limbs and long, gracefully- 

 taoering tail, bttt the vounger ones have the added beautv of 

 color. The body is coal-black with brieht yellow stripes, 

 hence another poptilar name — andon^ from which its scientific 

 cognomen is derived — Five-lined Skink. The tail at these 

 ages is a bright sky blue almost irridescent in tone. The adult 

 animals are much soberer, a dull olive-green, mth slight bronze 

 reflections to the scales and vague yellowish stripes along the 

 back and sides. 



We found several sets of <^%^^ in the cavities of well rotted 

 logs. In all cases an adult was present with them, so it is likely 

 that the mother takes more care of her young than is common 

 among the reptilia. Other specimens captured alive laid eggs 

 in captivity and we managed to hatch out a num.ber of them. 

 Our captives ate ant pupae and flies greedily, which gives us 

 a suewstion as to the nature of their food. 



