BRANSON : SNAKES OF KANSAS. 359 



The following are the scuta, dimensions and number of spots 

 of seven specimens from Douglas county : 



The Bull Snake is the largest and one of the most abundant 

 of Kansas snakes. Individuals nine feet long are sometimes 

 found. The adults are very gentle, offering little or no resist- 

 ance when handled, but the younger individuals will fight 

 vigorously. 



The l.lth of last August, twelve snake eggs were brought to 

 me by a farmer living near Lawrence. I opened one of them 

 immediately, and found it contained a Bull Snake eight inches 

 long. The snake was surrounded by a gelatinous mass. Its 

 color was olive-buff, with spots faintly outlined in a darker shade. 

 The cephalic plates were well developed. It was able to raise 

 its head about one-third of an inch, but it could not open its 

 mouth. It could see large moving objects. The hemipenis 

 was protruded, and small calcifications were already present 

 on it. 



I placed the other eggs in damp sand where the direct rays of 

 the sun could not reach them. The weather was cool and damp 

 most of the time to the period of their hatching. September 28 

 two snakes hatched and during the ne.xt three days eight more 

 came out of the eggs. They were fifteen to fifteen and one-half 

 inches long. They were fat, and it seemed incredible that they 

 could have come out of such small eggs. The eggs were 2j inches 

 in length by 4i in circumference. The young snakes were like 

 adults in scutellation and coloration. They were very irritable, 

 hissing and striking at whatever came near them. Before they 

 were entirely out of the egg they hissed and struck. They could 

 not strike accurately until they were several weeks old. Their 

 teeth were very small and weak. I allowed them to strike my 

 hand, but they could do no injury. They did not open their 

 mouths wide enough when striking, and the point of the nose 

 struck the offending object. I often thrust my finger into their 



