966 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



geueials subequal. General foriu robust; tail not long. Head quite dis- 

 tinct from body, widened posteriorly, moderately narrowed to the muzzle. 



Ground color aboye from bright reddish brown to gray, marked by 

 large dark brown transverse spots variously arranged, or immaculate. 

 Below, yellowish or reddish, with or without chestnut or reddish-brown 

 spots which are not tessellated, but are more or less rounded. Length, 

 about a meter. 



This abundant and widely distributed species i^resents several well- 

 marked subspecies which have been sometimes described as species. 

 These generally have a definable geographical range. Together they 

 occupy the entire Eastern and Austroriparian regions. 



Belly with dark spots which are lateral and angular; gastrosteges not margined; 

 spots of back broad especially anteriorly, continued to belly ; sides of head pale, 

 with black postocular band ; scales generally in 23 rows ..N.f. fasciatus Linn^us. 



Belly with gastrosteges narrowly margined with brown, margins inclosing yellow 

 spots by junction at or near ends; dorsal spots numerous, narrower, extending to 

 belly; sides of head pale, with brown postocular band; scales in 25 rows; 



N. f. pictiventris Cope. 



Belly spotted; back with brown spots which extend to the sides anteriorly only, 

 but which mostly alternate with lateral spots; no postocular band; 



X. f. sipedon Linnaeus. 



Belly spotted; dorsal band transverse anteriorly; posteriorly wanting, and lateral 

 spots only N.f. pleuralis Cope. 



Belly unspotted; dorsal and lateral spots alternate to the head; 



N. f. transversa HaHowell. 



Belly unspotted; neither dorsal nor lateral spots N.f. erythrogaster Shaw. 



These subspecies belong to the Austroriparian region, except N'. s. 

 sipedon, which is nearly confined to the Eastern, and JS\ s. transversa, 

 which belongs to the Texan district. 



It is semiaquatic in its habits, being usually found on the border of 

 the water, where it takes refuge when alarmed. It is an expert swim- 

 mer and a skillful fisher, since fishes form a large part of its food. - It 

 captures fishes by quick movements below the surface of the water. 

 When cornered it is pugnacious, but its bite is insignificant. Its aver- 

 age adult length is three feet, but it frequently exceeds that size. 



MATRIX FASCIATA FASCIATA Linn^us. 



Natrix fasciaia fasciata Cope, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XI, 1888, p. 392. 



Coluber fasciatus LiNX^us, Syst. Nat., 1, 1766, p. 378. — Gmelix, Syst. Nat. Linn., 



I, Pt. 3, 1788, p. 1094.— HOLBROOK, N. Amer. Herp., I, 1838, p. 93,pl.xx. 

 Coluber porcatus Latreille, Hist. Nat. des Rept., IV, 1882, p. 32, pi., fig. 1. — 



Daudix, Hist. Nat. Rept., VI, 1803, p. 204.— Harlan, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. 



Phila., 1827, p. 356. 

 Tropidonotiis fasciatus Holbrook, N. Amer. Herp., 2d ed.. Ill, 1842, p. 25, pi. v. — 



DeKay, New York Fauna; Rept., 1842, p, 47. — var. A, Guxther, Cat. Col. 



Snakes Brit. Mus., 1858, p. 76. — Cope, Check-list N. Amer. Batr. Rept., 1875, 



p. 42. 

 Nerodia fasciata Baird and Girard, Cat. N. Amer. Rept., Pt. 1, Serp., 1853, p. 39. 

 Tropidonotiis fasciatus, form typica Boulenger, Cat. Snakes Brit. Mus., I, 1893, 



p. 244. 



