NOTES ON NOVA SCOTIAN ZOOLOGY PIERS. 181 



note that a New York oologist quotes them in one of his price- 

 lists at a dollar apiece. 



Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula). In 1891 Mr. 

 Austen found two more nests of this Kinolet. The first was 

 taken on June 12th, and contained six eggs. The second one, 

 full of young, was discovered two days later at the very top (about 

 forty feet from ground) of a black spruce, and placed under the 

 sustaining branch, to which it was hanging by little twigs. 

 Neither nest could be seen from the ground. 



Reptiles. 



Ring Snake (Diadophis punctatus). On May 15th, 1891, 

 Mr. M. Y. Gray gave me a small living snake which he had cap- 

 tured on the 10th of that month, in a sandy place close to the 

 Prince's Lodge, Bedford Basin. When found, it was lying- 

 motionless, coiled like the figure 8. I easily identified it by the 

 yellowish occipital ring, as belonging to the species Diadoplds 

 punctotus, a very rare snake in this province, and which Mr. 

 John T. Mellish* does not think occurs at all in Prince Edward 

 Island. My specimen is small — only 5| inches in length, — but 

 very pretty. For some time I kept it alive, and it proved of much 

 interest. The warmth of my skin was evidently pleasant to the 

 reptile and it crawled over the hand and went around and between 

 the fingers, occasionally thrusting out its tongue but never 

 attempting to bite or make its escape. The following description 

 may be of use in comparing this individual with others from 

 distant localities : 



Upper labials 8 ; 6th and 7th largest, 4th and 5th form- 

 ing the lower part of the orbit. Lower labials 8 ; 5th the 

 largest. Colour (before fading in alcohol) : Above slightly 

 lustrous, black (or nearly so) with steel-blue reflections. Head 

 above, same colour but more lustrous. Body and tail beneath, 

 reddish-orange, more red on posterior part. A series of l;)lack 

 sub-triangular spots along the lateral margins of the scutellaj, 

 and in contact with the dark colour of the flanks. No black 



*Notes on the Serpents of Prince Edward Island. Trans. ]V. S. Inst. Nat. Sc. v 1. IV'., pp. 

 163-167. 



