210 Illinois State Lahonito)-i/ of Ncttioal liistorij. 



Body moderately slender. Head distinctly marked off by 

 the more slender neck. Tail cylindrical, tapering, of moderate 

 length. Rostral wider than high, excavated below. Frontal 

 much larger than wide, pentagonal. Parietals very large. A 

 single nasal, with a groove below the nostril, sometimes appar- 

 ently two plates with the nostril between. Loreal rhomboidal. 

 A large vertically elongate auteorbital. Two or three postor- 

 bitals. Supralabials eight, sixth and seventh largest. Ten in- 

 fralabials, the fifth and sixth largest. From twenty-three to 

 twenty-five rows of dorsal scales, the carinse on the outer scales 

 a trifle less prominent. Yentrals one 130-150. Anal divided. 

 Subcaudals in 40-80 pairs. 



Color extremely variable; from yellowish brown through 

 various shades of brown and red to blackish brown, sometimes 

 uniform, but generally with a dorsal series of dark spots and on 

 each side a series of smaller squarish spots which alternate 

 with those of the dorsal series. Generally some of the spots of 

 the three series, on the anterior part of the body and on the tail, 

 fuse, forming transverse bands; sometimes all are thus fused. 

 The number of the spots varies with age. Beneath yellowish, 

 with subtriangular blackish or brown spots on the scutes, be- 

 coming larger posteriorly and giving the prevailing color; 

 sometimes uniformly reddish. Posterior margins of labial 

 plates generally dark. Young, and some adults, with a pair of 

 small pale spots on the parietals, as in the Eutieniie. 



This water snake is one of the commonest species within 

 our limits. It feeds largely on small fishes. 



Throughout the State. Cook county. Ogle county, Gales- 

 burg, Peoria (Brendel), Pekin, Normal, Anna. 



Variety sipedon. 



Grayish brown, with three series of squarish dark spots, 

 those of the lateral series alternating with the dorsal spots. 

 Beneath thickly blotched with black posteriorly, becoming 

 paler towards the head. Dorsal rows twenty-three. Common 

 everywhere. 



