178 



The House Snake lays eggs, which vary from seven to twenty in 

 number. These eggs are deposited in loose soil, decaying wood or 

 sawdust. The young are brightly colored and active, and from 

 evidences at hand, this snake is not as strictly nocturnal as are 

 some other species which we have discussed. 



Dr. O. P. Hay, in a '^Keport of the Reptiles and Batrachians of 

 Indiana," published in 1892, said: "According to Dr. Goode's in 

 vestigations, this snake is oviparous and guards its nest. When- 

 ever danger threatens her 3'oung the mother finds an asylum for 

 them down her capacious throat. (See 'American Association for 

 the Advancement of Science,' 1872.) I have taken eggs of this 

 species in Illinois that were buried in a pile of manure and more or 

 less glued together. The egg is two inches long and little less 

 than one and one-fourth inches in diameter. The covering is parch- 

 ment-like. It contains a young snake ten inches long." We prefer 

 to describe the covering of the eg^ of the House Snake as leathery, 

 white and opaque, to distinguish it from the thinner parchment- 

 like covering of the egg of the Grass Snake. 



Fig. 17. — Diagram showing the percentages of 

 specimens of Food Items of Milk or House Snake 

 (Lam prop clliK (hiJiatus trianunhis) : 48iA per cent. 

 Field Mice (Micro tits pc/nisjyd'ioifci/s) ; 20 per cent, 

 undetermined Mice; 11 per cent. Unidentified Mam- 

 mals; t) per cent. Snakes; 51/2 jier cent. Birds; 3 per 

 cent. Slugs; 3 per cent. Jumping Mice; 3 per cent. 

 Undetermined Vertebrates. 



Our investigations show that the ova commence to develop about 

 the middle of May and become fully developed and are laid about 

 the 10th of August. Our specimen No. 1382 b, collected on that 



