88 UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO STUDIES 



Colorado specimens. — University Museum: Boulder, May 20, 1905 

 (500 mm.), No. 232; Colorado State Historical and Natural History Museum: 

 Denver, June 3, 1901 (1200 mm.), H. G. Smith; Julesburg, May 2, 1906 (860 mm.), 

 W. C. Ferril; Agricultural College Museum: Ft. Collins, April 30, 1892 (3 speci- 

 mens, 150-300 mm.); State Teachers^ College Museum: Greeley, A. E. Beardsley. 



Thamnophis elegans (Baird and Girard) 



Western Garter Snake 



Eutainia elegans Baird and Girard, Cat. N. Am. Reptiles, Pt. I, p. 34, 1853. 



Eutaenia marciana — Yarrow, U.S.N.M. Bull. 24, p. 118, 1882 (Ft. Garland, 

 New Mexico = Colorado). 



Eutaenia vagrans vagrans — Yarrow, Wheeler Survey, Vol. V, pp. 551-553, 1875 

 (Twin Lakes, Conejos, Pagosa and San Luis Valley, Colo.) ; Yarrow, U.S.N.M. 

 Bull. 24, pp. 1 19-120, 1882 (Cache la Poudre River, San Luis Valley, Conejos, 

 Twin Lakes, Pagosa, and French Creek, Colo.). 



Tropidonotus vagrans — Boulenger, Cat. Snakes British Mus., Vol. I, p. 203, 

 1893 (Wales Canyon, Pueblo County, Colo.). 



Eutaenia elegans vagrans — Cope, Rept. U.S.N.M., p. 1041, 1898 (Pagosa, 

 Twin Lakes, Conejos, San Luis Valley, Cache la Poudre River, Colo.). 



Thamnophis ordinoides elegans — Ruthven, U.S.N.M. Bull. 61, p. 140, 1907 

 (Conejos, San Luis Valley, Rio Grande, Durango, Pagosa, Boulder County, 

 Gypsum, Grand Junction, Twin Lakes, Hayden, Colo.). 



Thamnophis elegans — Cockerell, Univ. Colo. Studies, Vol. VII, p. 131, 1910 

 (Meeker and Buford, Colo.). 



Thamnophis elegans vagrans — Cary, N. Am. Fauna, No. 2)2i^ PP- 27, 40, 45, 

 191 1 (Meeker; Higho and Pearl, North Park; Snake River, Slater, Routt County, 

 Colo.). 



Dorsal scales in 21 rows, in 19 or 21 rows just back of the head, 

 and in 19 or 17 rows in the posterior portion of the body; first row 

 faintly keeled, others distinctly so. Superior labials, usually 8, first 

 four subequal, 6th the largest; inferior labials, usually 10 (sometimes 

 9 or 11). Ventrals, about 170, 150-185; tail one-fifth to a little more 

 than one-fourth of the total length. Genials and postgenials subequal. 



Ground color brown, brownish green or greenish buff; ventral 

 parts greenish or grayish. A mid-dorsal yellowish stripe, hghter than 

 the ground color, rather indistinct, covering the mid-dorsal row of 

 scales and parts of the adjoining row on each side, interrupted by the 

 dark spots from each side, and often almost obliterated by the darker 



