680 REPTILES—COLUBRID. 
? Tropidonotus ordinatus, HOLBROOK, PUTNAM, GUNTHER. 
Eutainia ordinata, BAIRD and GIRARD. 
? Eutainia radix, BAIRD and GIRARD. 
Body moderately strong ; general color above black or dark-brown, with a verte- 
bral and two lateral stripes of yellow ; abdomen greenish-white, often with black spots 
upon the sides; under jaw and gular region yellowish-white to greenish-yellow ; verte- 
bral and lateral bands begin at the posterior of the head and become insensibly lost 
upon the tail; occipital plates often with two small yellow spots; ante-and postorbi- 
tals, labials, and lower half of rostral yellowish-green ; nasals two; upper labials seven 
or eight, lower eight or nine; inframaxillaries reaching to sixth lower labial; dorsal 
scales strongly carinated, in 19 rows; gastrosteges, 137-170; urosteges, 55-80 lateral 
stripe upon the second and third rows of scales; vertebral band about the width of a 
scale, though situated upon one and two half rows, color below the lateral stripe some- 
what lighter than above; tail one-fourth of total length. Length, 24 feet; head, i+ inches; 
tail, 52 inches; transverse diameter of head, finch; of neck, # inch ; circumference of 
body 3 inches. 
Habitat, Maine to Virginia, South Carojina, Georgia, Mississippi, Illinois, Oregon, 
Minnesota, Michigan, Isle Royale in Lake Superior, and Lake Winnipeg. 
In the State I have specimens from Yellow Springs, Columbus, and 
Lancaster, though it iscommoneverywhere. Some of the Ohiospecimens 
show a much duller coloration than is ordinarily observed, probably owing 
to their having been captured a short time prior to the period at which 
they would shed their skin. A specimen kept by me in confinement 
changed from such dull to the ordinary bright markings on casting off 
itsepidermis. Ihave observed a similar fact in regard to the Blue Racer, 
Bascanium on constrictor, and also upon the Hutenia saurita. 
Eutxnia sirtalis is our commonest snake. They are clumsy and 
sluggish animals, found in low, marshy, or comparatively dry places, take 
to water readily, and when irritated, elevate their scales, giving the body 
a roughened appearance, and when handled exude a very disagreeable 
and offensive odor. After swallowing a frog, if one seize the animal by 
the tail and pass the foot along its back, it can be made to disgorge, 
and the frog escape in a living condition. 
They are popularly believed to swallow their young to shield the latter 
from danger ; in fact unscientific observers report having cut them open 
and found the little ones within, a fact which can be readily accounted 
for when it is remembered that this genus brings forth its young alive, 
and the parties observing undoubtedly saw them in the ovaries rather 
than in the stomach. Possibly a similar mode of reproduction obtains in 
‘other species reported to swallow their young; or the fact that some 
snakes prey upon others may explain the origin of such reports. 
The Garter Snake takes to water quite readily, and retires to winter 
quarters in October, and issues forth again the following spring, in May. 
