BRANSON : SNAKES OP KANSAS. 427 



Infralabials 14-18. Pregenials broad aud short. Gastrosteges 

 170-190. Urosteges 20-30. Anal entire. 



Grayish to brownish above, wi'th a dorsal sei'ies of large rhom- 

 boid-oval spots. The spots have dark brown borders and are 

 lighter in the middle. The dark scales forming the spots often 

 have very narrow light borders. Alternating with the dorsal 

 spots are smaller, much lighter colored spherical and oval spots. 

 These become opposite and coalesce with the dorsal spots on the 

 tail, forming cross-bars. The belly is yellowish with gray at the 

 ends of the gastrosteges. The under part of the head is whitish. 

 The labials are marked with very dark gray to brown. The top 

 of the head is brown. A light stripe extends from the upper 

 posterior angle of the orbit backward around the angle of the 

 mouth. A light stripe extends from the upper part of the pos- 

 terior nasal plate to a little behind the middle of the maxillary. 

 The lower edges of tlie upper labials are white. The temporal 

 scales are margined with white. 



This species is quite numerous in the western part of the 

 state, but is not found in the eastern part. I saw twenty-si.x 

 specimens while collecting for two months in Gove, Logan and 

 Scott counties. It is found in considerable numbers in prairie- 

 dog towns. It feeds upon prairie-dogs, gophers, and other small 

 animals. It does not live in peace with the prairie-dogs, as so 

 many people believe, but is their deadly enemy. The young 

 dogs are its special prey. It protects itself by retreating into 

 the holes of the prairie-dogs. It seldom reaches a length of 

 more than three and one-half feet. The largest specimen that 

 I ever examined was one that I killed in Gove county, three 

 feet four inches long aud six inches in circumference. On ac- 

 count of its size and disposition it is not as dangerous as ('. hor- 

 ridus. I never saw one of these snakes strike unless it was 

 injured. It does not hibernate until late in the year, often be- 

 ing met with as late as the middle of November. 



Manhattan is the point farthest east from which it has been 

 reported. Manhattan is the point farthest west from which ('. 

 horridihs has been reported. It would seem that the range of 

 C. horridus ends at about the place where the range of C. con- 

 fluentus begins. Sislrurus occurs in greatest numbers along the 

 border line where the larger snakes are rare. 



