44 COPEIA 



on the Demerara River, about thirty-five miles south 

 of Georgetown, in 1914, tadpoles were abundant in 

 July and August, and a lot taken during the last 

 week in July reached the adult stage on and after 

 August 16. From this the writer concludes that the 

 eggs were laid about the first of July, and that in 

 Demerara the species breeds in the long wet season, 

 from the middle of April to September first. It is 

 possible that it also breeds in the short wet season, 

 which begins in November and lasts until the end of 

 January, as stated by Bodkin, but, in the opinion of 

 the writer, this has not as j T et been established. 



Alexander G. Ruthven, 



Ann Arbor, Michigan. 



WATER-SNAKES SAV ALLOWING FISH. 



At Mastic, Long Island, on May 9, 1915, a small 

 water-snake (Tropidonotus) was observed on the 

 shore of Home Creek swallowing a large male Fun- 

 dulus heteroclitus, of much greater caliber than it- 

 self. The fish was about half engulfed head first, its 

 tail still flopping occasionally. When alarmed the 

 snake took to the water, and when pinned to the bot- 

 tom with a canoe paddle immediately relinquished 

 the fish which swam awaj^. Almost immediately af- 

 ter this snake was liberated a water-snake of the same 

 size which seemed more strongly marked was seen 

 in the water with a somewhat smaller male Fundulus 

 which it had seized by the caudal fin. Getting a firm 

 hold on the fish, which at times struggled violently, 

 it swam ashore with it. The final swallowing took 

 place slowly, tail first, the front end of the snake on 

 the shore. Finally it was able to close its mouth with 

 a gulp around the head of the fish which slipped back 

 towards its middle. Comparatively little distorted 

 by its meal the snake dived into the water and dis- 



a PP eared - J. T. Nichols, 



New York, N. Y. 



Edited by J. T. Nichols, American Museum of Natural History 

 PRICE FIVE CENTS 



