722 13. COLUBRIDZ 
mens vary from 54 to 89, the average being 74. On the 
tail, in 65 specimens, they vary from 14 to 29, and aver- 
age 22.8. 
Distribution —This subspecies occupies the coast region 
of southern California and northern Lower California, and 
has been found on some of the islands off the coast. We 
have examined specimens from Santa Barbara (Santa Bar- 
bara), Ventura (Pine Creek), Los Angeles (Charter Oak, 
Cold Water Canyon, La Crescenta, Pasadena, Mount Wil- 
son, Sierra Madre, Claremont), San Bernardino (Ontario), 
Riverside (Colton, San Bernardino Mountains, Riverside, 
San Jacinto, San Jacinto Mountains), and San Diego (War- 
ner Pass, Agua Caliente, Cahuilla Valley, Julian, Cuyamaca 
Mountains, Campo), counties, California, and from En- 
senada, San Martin Island and South Coronado Island, 
Lower California. 
It is probably this subspecies of gopher-snake which has 
been observed but not captured on Santa Catalina Island. 
Those of Santa Cruz Island, however, are Pituophis cateni- 
fer catenifer. 
Remarks.—This subspecies may be known by its large 
number of gastrosteges and urosteges, and its numerous dor- 
sal blotches. It seems to be confined to the region west of 
the desert areas, and probably intergrades with P. catenifer 
deserticola along the western edge of the desert. Inter- 
gradation with P. catenifer catenifer probably occurs in or 
about Santa Barbara County. 
Habits —“This is the most often met with of all our 
snakes, and, taken on the whole, has the most favorable rep- 
utation with the ordinary run of people. Most ranchers 
and country people have learned to recognize in the gopher 
