MACKAY ON KING AND GARTER SNAKES. xli 
SrxtH OrDINARY MEETING. 
Legislative Council Chamber, Halifax, 13th April, 1896. 
The Presipentr in the chair. 
Harry Piers, Esq., read a paper entitled, ‘ Preliminary Notes on 
the Orthoptera of Nova Scotia,” illustrated by a collection of the 
insects described. (See Transactions). 
The paper was discussed by Drs. Somers and MacKay, and Mr. 
MILLER. 
Dr. A. H. MacKay presented a desiccated specimen of Diadophis 
punctatus (L.), the Ring-necked or King Snake of Nova Scotia, for 
examination by the members present. The specimen was captured 
alive during the previous fall, at Pine Hill, near the Park, and was pre- 
sented to him by the Rev. Dr. Gordon. Its habits in captivity were 
described, the principal one (not referred toin the other papers read 
before the Institute) being its ability, after moistening its ventral plates 
by passing through water, of climbing up the more than vertical walls 
of a tall glass beaker in which it was kept. As the mouth of this large 
beaker was covered with a sheet of thin cotton cloth clamped around 
ite mouth by a rubber band, the snake used to climb up to the top and 
take a circular position around the mouth and as close to the band as 
possible. For a couple of months it was presented with quite a variety 
of things to eat and drink, but was never observed to take advantage 
of what was offered, except to go gliding through the water or other 
liquid supplied. Being neglected for a week or more towards the 
beginning of winter, it was found dead and desiccated one day, when 
the experiments came to a close. It agreed closely with the specimen 
described in detail by Mr. Harry Piers on the 14th March, 1892. (See 
Vol. vir., page 181, Trans. N. S. Inst. Sci.). 
He then described an exciting frog hunt by one of three large 
Garter Snakes, (Hutainia sirtalis)—two of them having been killed to 
give the frog a better chance—which he had the good fortune to see on 
the partially dry bed of a rivulet near the Nictaux river in Annapolis 
county. The cunning and persistent determination shown by the snake 
in this case was most remarkable, whether in swimming and diving in 
the clear gravel-bottomed pool, or in climbing the rock and the bank, 
