61 



Biifo Icntiginosus anicricanus Bonl. 



Biifo was found but sparingly in the sand prairie regions. It 

 was several times seen along roadsides near the Devil's Hole; and a 

 few times, in the black-oak forest, from one to two miles from the 

 river. The absence of breeding places is the probable cause of its 

 scarcity. In the mixed forest of the river dunes, and in fact all 

 along the river, these toads are very abundant. They may be seen 

 hopping about by day; and at night they are found on the beach in 

 great numbers. (See also discussion of S erica scricca p. 44.) 

 Anicricanus is the prairie variety of the toad. Sand prairie condi- 

 tions, however, are such as to exclude the species. Frogs are prac- 

 tically absent from the sand prairie. 



REPTIUA 



Hctcrodon uasicits Bd. & Gir.* Ellis, det. June 29, July 8, 26. 



Specimens were taken at the Devil's Hole, the Devil's Neck, the 

 marginal dune north of Havana, and in a blowsand area southeast 

 of town. H. Garman reports one specimen from Pekin, which is at 

 the northern end of the sand regions. Nasicus is the western species 

 of the blow-snake, and is typical of the prairie region. Following 

 H. Garman, the species is listed by Hart under H. simus. The blow- 

 snakes are confined to sandy or very dry places. The eggs are laid 

 in summer in the sand. The food consists principally of toads and 

 frogs. The names "blow-snake" and "puff adder'' arise from the 

 snake's habit of simulating ferocity by flattening the anterior part 

 of the body and hissing. It also feigns death, lying on its back, re- 

 viving, however, long enough to turn over again on its back if placed 

 in any other position. The blow-snake is a typical predaceous mem- 

 ber of the sand-prairie associations. 



CnemidopJwnis sc.vlincatus Linn. June 25, 28. 



These striped lizards were quite abundant in the bunch-grass in 

 the Devil's Hole and other places. The genus is subtropical, all but 

 sexlineatus being restricted to the Sonoran Province. The eggs are 

 laid in a hollow in the sand, and are left to be hatched by the sun. 



*A small specimen taken Iw James Zetek in the sand prairie, in igii, has no 

 subnasal plate; both jjrcfrontals and postfrontals are separated from the azygous 

 plate by a series of small plates, nine in number. Scale-rows are 23. Top of head 

 is crossed by the typical white stripe in the region of the eyes. Other markings are 

 almost identical with those of a specimen from Julesburg, Colorado. 



A l)low-snake taken in the mixed forest of the marginal dune, August 20, 1913, 

 is plainly to be referred to the eastern species, //. platirhinos Latreille, having no 

 small plates separating the azygous plate from tlie prefrontals and postfrontals. 



