51 
to the body, that after the loosened portion of 
the skin is shed, this patch will remain and 
several days wiil pass before it is sufficiently 
dry and loose to be ‘ cast.’ 
These shed skins or ‘sloughs’ are always a 
yellowish white color and very seldom show 
any markings, however attractively the snake 
may be marked. Yet the scale arrangement is 
so true that an advanced student of snake life 
can easily distinguish the species to which the 
‘slough’ belongs. It is a common occurrence 
for snakes to lie in water when about to 
‘cast’ their skins, and the ‘slough’ then be- 
comes softened by the soaking it receives, when 
it can be easily discarded.” 
“ How often do snakes ‘cast’ their skins? 
You know it is generally accepted as a scientific 
fact that adult snakes ‘shed’ about twice a 
year. Now how do your observations along 
this line agree with this prevailing opinion ? ” 
“Well, you will of course appreciate the fact 
that animals in confinement differ somewhat 
in behavior from their relatives in the natural 
wild state of the species. Now, naturally 
enough, young, growing snakes ‘shed’ fre- 
quently, but large adult specimens must be well 
fed indeed to ‘cast’ their ‘slough’ more than 
two or three times during the period of activity 
of our common snakes in their natural haunts. 
In the early spring, after awaking from its pro- 
longed winter’s sleep, the snake ‘casts’ its skin 
soon after becoming fully interested in its sur- 
