44 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



Reptiles and BatracMans of Rhode Island. 



BY HERMON C. BUMPUS. 



NUMBEK IX. 



We now come to a genus veiy generally 

 represented throughout the more temperate 

 regions of the globe, and having in our state 

 three species, all of which are familiar forms. 



9. Tropidonotus saurita Schlegel, or 

 the Ribbon Snake, is at once recognized by 

 its elongated form, the tail equaling one-half 

 the length of the body from snout to anus. 

 In general coloring it resembles the next 

 species, though the longitudinal bands are 

 generally better defined. This is one of our 

 most abundant reptiles and ma}' be counted 

 by the dozens, by a careful observer, during 

 a half-day excursion in our more moist and 

 sunny fields bordered b}' hedges. With T. 

 sirtatis, it is called the Striped or Garter 

 Snake by those who have not taken the trou- 

 ble to compare the two. The present spe- 

 cies was described as Entcvnia saurita by 

 the earl}' writers, a name that is still pre- 

 ferred by some. 



10. Tropidonotus sirtatis {Entcenia sir- 

 tatis Linne). The Striped or Garter Snake 

 is by far our most abundant ophidian, and 

 is seen everywhere; by the road-side, in 

 stone-heaps, under fences, on lawns, and not 

 unfrequently in old cellars and under out- 

 houses. So familiar is this animal, that a 

 description seems almost superfluous, but 

 that it may not be confounded with the Rib- 

 bon Snake, the following points will assist. 

 The bod}' is rather stout, and the tail short, 

 it being only one-fourth the length of the 

 body from snout to anus. Inu3oloring it is 

 rather darker than T. sanrtta, being of a 

 deep brown or black; the dorsal stripe nar- 

 row and more or less irregular, and the lat- 

 eral stripes broad, more or less spotted, and 

 passing gradually into the green olivaceous 

 color of the abdomen. 



The two species just described are per- 

 fectly harmless, their diet is exclusivel}^ in- 

 sectivorous, and that they should, from a 

 spirit of malicious destruction or from mere 

 prejudice, be mercilessly put to death when- 

 ever seen, is the result of a popular tradition 

 of which every liberal-minded man should 

 be ashamed. 



11. Trojyidonotus sipedon Holbrook 

 (Nerodia sipedon Baird and Girard). 

 The Water Snake or "Water Adder," is one 

 of our harmless reptiles which are regarded, 

 by many people, as poisonous to the ex- 

 treme. It differs from the two already men- 

 tioned species of the genus, not only in 

 general ornamentation, being of a uniform 

 dark brown color above, shading into red- 

 dish on the sides and mottled with dark 

 brown, but in having the scales of the body 

 arranged in a greater number of rows; those 

 of T. sirtatis and saurita never exceeding 

 twent^'-one, while T. sipedon has at least 

 twenty-three. This animal is quite abun- 

 dantly met with along the borders of brooks 

 and ponds, and not infrequently crawls into 

 the neighboring meadpws and low lands in 

 search of frogs, where it often meets its death 

 from the scythe. In the water it is very 

 active, often being seen some distance from 

 the shore, swimming around among the lily- 

 pads in search of frogs or fishes, which it is 

 very expert in catching, a pickerel a foot 

 long having been taken from the mouth of 

 one, which was, however, being rather 

 worsted by its ' ' Tartar." 



The genus Storeria is represented in 

 Rhode Island by two small species. The 

 first has three large, irregular, white blotches 

 just back of the occipital plates, arranged 

 in transverse order, and the scales in fifteen 

 rows, while the second is without the oc- 

 cipital ornamentation, is of a hghter color, 

 and has the scales arranged in seventeen 

 rows. 



12. Storeria occijntomaculata Baird and 

 Girard. The Spotted-necked Snake is not 

 uncommonly found along road-sides, where 

 it basks in the sun and finds small insects, on 

 which it feeds. 



13. Storeria deJcayi Baird and Girard. 

 Like the previous species, is not uncommon. 

 It is fond of the neighborhood of meadows, 

 where it captures grasshoppers, crickets, and 

 other insects. Specimens have been captured 

 from different localities east of the Missis- 

 sippi, from Maine to Louisiana. 



14. Heteroden platyrhinus Latreille. 

 The Hog-nosed Snake, or "Blowing Adder," 

 or "Flat-head," is quite abundantly found 

 throughout the state, being generally an in- 

 habitant of the more dry and sandy locali- 

 ties. With all its fierce appearance and 

 demonstrations, it is perfectly inoflfensive 



