The Striped Snakes — Garter Snakes 



names for "new species" upon variations of tiie parent form, 

 and base "sub-species" innumerable upon slight differences of 

 pattern the reader will at once appreciate what inspiration this 

 genus would furnish to the enthusiastic technical worker, whose 

 ambition it is to add to the mass of scientific nomenclature. 

 And such has been the case. Concerning this genus a battle of 

 nomenclature has raged. Even the well established generic 

 name — Eutania, of Baird and Girard, that appeared in their ex- 

 cellent Catalogue of the North American Snakes, in 1853, has 

 been declared to be inappropriate, and other generic names 

 have been proposed, to be in turn combated. One distinguished 

 American authority recognised nearly fifty species and sub- 

 species of the genus. His descriptions of them were bewildering. 

 Some of the descriptions of varieties (sub-species) were based 

 upon single specimens. Among serpents that vary almost individ- 

 ually, the value of such descriptions is open to some speculation. 



Foreign authorities have treated this genus from an exactly 

 reverse attitude. Species have been run together in such stren- 

 uous fashion that but few remain to represent the genus. Thus, 

 if the student is to examine the few technical works on reptiles, 

 he will be confronted by these extremes, and with a very mis- 

 leading result. 



With this explanation the reader will appreciate the author's 

 misgivings in preparing the present chapter. To popularise the 

 treatment of a genus of snakes evincing extreme variability, 

 so as to make identification simple to the beginner and valu- 

 able to the advanced student as well, is a difficult proposition. 

 However, the task has been attempted and the student is thus 

 advised to go about the identification of specimens: 



1. Pay especial attention to form — whether stout, or very 

 elongate, the outline of the head, and proportionate length of the tail. 



2. Ascertain on what rows of scales the stripe of the side is 

 situated. 



3. Note the character of the spots (if any) between the stripes. 



4. Take care to consider the locality in which the specimen 

 was captured. 



With these suggestions in mind, the student should study 

 the key that is given herewith. From this he will gain a bird's- 

 eye view of the genus and the distribution of the species. 



It must be understood that the patterns cited in the key 



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