52 SNAKES. 



the frogs, he separates, because they begin life as a fish. 

 Originally there were nine orders of reptiles ; then for a 

 long while we were taught that there were four, — Chelonians, 

 Ophidians, Saurians, and Batrachians. Every one of the 

 above so merges into the others that many herpetologists 

 differ in drawing the lines between them. 



If we were asked to define our little friend, the ring 

 snake, that ate a frog while we were studying his anatomy, 

 we would say that he belongs to the — 



1. Animal Kingdom. 



2. Sub-Kingdom, Vertehrata. 



3. Class, Reptilia. 



4. Order, Ophidia. 



5. Family, Tropidonotus. 



6. Genus, Coluber. 



7. Species, Matrix. 



He is most frequently known as Colicber natrix, though 

 as both words mean simply a snake, the name is inadequate. 

 In fact, our common English snake has been rather neglected 

 in the way of titles, the only generic name which is at all 

 descriptive being Tropidonotus, so called from the keel which 

 characterizes the scales. So he is Tropido7iotiis natrix, and 

 Natrix tropidonotiis, and Natrix torqnata of the different 

 authors, the last-named specific presumably given on 

 account of the collar which he wears, and which being 

 often yellow, has gained for him the name of ' ring snake.' 

 Cohcber natrix, having so few synonymes, they are all 

 given, in illustration of what has been already said of the 

 perplexity of names assigned by different naturalists. And, 



