166 



3 Spiders. 



2 Undet. Insect fragments. 



2 Undet. Larvae. 



1 Undet. Species Orthoptera. 



2 Acrididse (Grasshoppers). '■ 

 2 Common crickets. 



2 Striped Brown Crickets. 



2 Undet. Depidoptera. 



1 Measuring Worms. 



1 Ground Beetles (Harpalus sp.) 



1 Red Ants. 



1 Striped Salamander. 



Ill the above table we find that most of the food materials men- 

 tioned are obnoxious to the interests and property of mankind, 

 excepting the ground beetles and the striped salamander, which 

 are insectivorous. Consequently we must say emphatically that 

 an animal with such a menu must be ver}^ valuable to mankind in 

 destroying the obnoxious insects and other pests around him. The 

 absence of toads and fragments of toads from this list shows they 

 do not feed on these useful batrachians, and also that the insects 

 found in their stomachs were taken by them primarily as their own 

 food, rather than secondarily as the food of the toads which were 

 swallowed, as is evidently the case with the Garter Snake and the 

 Hog-nosed Adder or Blowing Viper. 



The above table proves conclusively that the Grass Snake is 

 beneficial, as it feeds upon small snails, slugs, spiders, grasshoppers, 

 crickets, measuring worms and other objectionable insect larva?, 

 and red ants, with an occasional salamander for variation, yet Aery 

 few amphibians are taken as its food, ^yero it not for the two 

 eating ground beetles and one specimen of salamander included in 

 the above list, we could say that all these individuals showed abso- 

 lutely beneficial characters in their feeding habits. As an animal 

 that needs preservation in order to helj) suiipress the increasing 

 numbers of insect jiests, the harmless and beautiful little Grass 

 Snake is to be recommended. Let its utility be taught in the home 

 and school and these useful creatures preserved. 



No. 16. Bascanion constrictor (L.) Black Snake. Plates XXVII, 

 XXVIII, XXIX, XXX Fig. a. 



The Black Snake is also called the "Blue Kacer" from the fact 

 that it has a bluish lustre and runs rapidly, especially over vines 

 and thickly growing buslies. It differs consi)icuously from the 

 other species of Black Snake (No. 12), called the Bilot Snake, by the 

 presence of the wliite on throat and chin only, also in having all the 

 scales smooth instead of keeled. The genus Bascanion, of which we 

 have but one species in this State, does not have the dorsal scales 

 keeled; the anal plate is bifid; the scales are generally in seventeen 



