The Striped Snakes — Garter Snakes 



between the latter series of spots; Ihese bars are usually bright 

 brick red* The area covered by the spots is not blaci< with all 

 specimens of this form. Some show a rich brown tinge — others 

 a dull olive. The central stripe is distinct, and may be yellow, 

 greenish, or red. The side stripe on many specimens comes in 

 contact with the red bars and imparts a wavy, chain-like out- 

 line, especially on the forward portion of the body. The top 

 of the head is pale olive, or reddish-yellow. 



Beneath, this form may be dull yellow, green or olive, with 

 the chin much paler. 



Dimensions. — Total Length 25^ inches. 



Length of Tail 6^ 



Greatest Diameter f 



Width of Head ^\ " 



Length of Head i J " 



Distribution. — Occurs commonly throughout the plains 

 region, from Montana to Texas and westward to California and 

 Washington. It has also been taken in the Eastern States, but 

 in the latter is very rare. 



PICKERING'S GARTER SNAKE 

 Eutania sirtalis, variety pickeringii, (B. & G.) 



Pickering's Garter Snake represents a phase of variation 

 from the ancestral form in the direction of the variety parieialis, 

 but carried to an extreme degree. The black, represented by 

 square, tessellated markings on most of the forms, has suffused 

 the entire upper surface, obliterating all traces of a ground- 

 colour and restricting the stripe on the back to a very narrow, 

 broken streak of greenish or yellow; the stripes of the sides are 

 wider and of the same colour as the central stripe. Beneath 

 them is a jet-black area, which fuses into the slate colour or 

 dark olive of the abdomen. The chin is whitish. 



The black of the upper surface is usually intense — al- 

 though some specimens are very dark brown — and has a 

 soft, velvety effect upon individuals that have freshly shed the 

 epidermis. 



*A colour that quickly fades to yellowish-white on alcoholic specimens. 



238 



