182 NOTES ox NOVA SCOTIAN Z(^0LOGY — PIERS. 



dots along middle region of abdomen. Tip of tail for about one- 

 thirtieth of an inch, all black (this is hardly noticeable, except 

 when examined closely). Occipital ring of the width of two 

 scales, not interrupted, colour of anterior part of body beneath. 

 Head beneath and upper labials, pale flesh-colour. Iris and pupil 

 black. 



Number of abdominal scutellse from chin to anus, 155-1-1. 



Number of pairs of subcaudal scutellaj, 56. 



Number of dorsal rows of scales around the body (excluding 

 the abdominal series), 15. 



Total length (tip of snout to tip of tail), 5| inches. 



Length of tail (anus to tip), TOO inches. 



The late Mr J. M. Jones, in his paper entitled " Contributions 

 to the Natural History of Nova Scotia : Reptilia,"* speaks of the 

 Ring Snake as our rarest species, and Dr. J. Bernard Gilpin f 

 likewise considered it very uncommon. The former gentleman 

 records only two specimens — one taken at Annapolis by Dr. 

 Gilpin, and the other captured in September, 1863, at Mr. Andrew 

 Downs' place near Halifax. Dr. Gilpin has onl}^ recorded one, 

 which he captured at Fairy Lake, September, 1870, and for 

 which he sacriflced a small flask of whiskey in order to preserve 

 the valuable specimen. Some twenty-five or thirty years ago, 

 my father, Mr. Henry Piers, saw one of these snakes swinnning 

 with great ease across the water at " Stony Beach, " about twelve 

 miles from Halifax, on the road to Prospect. The animal was 

 about a foot and a half long, and the yellowish occipital ring 

 was conspicuous. In 1885 a popular English periodical contained 

 a few notes on snakes in captivity, written at Halifax, in which 

 the writer spoke of having a Ring Snake which had been cap- 

 tured near the city in the summer of 1885. It must of course 

 be understood that this, coming from an unscientific source, can- 

 not be vouched for. I may say that I have now been so fortu- 

 nate as to have personally observed all the serpents known to 

 occur in Nova Scotia, two of which are extremely rare. 



» Trnns. N. S. Inst. Nat. Sc, Vol. I., pt. 3, pp. 114-128. 



t " On the Serpents of Nova Scotia," Trans. N. S Inst Sat. Sc,, Vol. IV., pp. SO-! 



