40. THAMNOPHIS 807 



Gastrosteges: ^ 9 



Parictalis 165.4 161.1 



Concinnus 164.3 156.4 



Infernalis 168.7 163.7 



Urosteges : 



Parictalis _. 85.2 76 



Concinnus 84.2 76.8 



Infernalis 89.8 82.8 



Habits. — These snakes usually are found in moist 

 places or swimming in fresh water ponds or sluggish 

 sloughs. The food is known to consist of small fish, tad- 

 poles, and insects. One specimen had eaten a full-grown 

 toad. Grinnell and Grinnell state that near Bixby, Los 

 Angeles County, dozens were observed May 22, 1904. 

 Sometimes half-a-dozen were together, in corners of old 

 duck-hunters' blinds, voluntarily braided into knots. When 

 handled, this snake, like other members of the genus, makes 

 itself obnoxious by the emission of extremely malodorous 

 matter provided by special glands, doubtless as a means of 

 defense. 



Garter-snakes now (1918) are very rare at Pyramid 

 Lake, Nevada. That they formerly were very abundant 

 there is shown by the following note, which probably per- 

 tains to this subspecies: 



"Along the shores of the large island in Pyramid Lake 

 vast number of Eutcenice are found, comprising this, and, 

 in all probability, several other recognized varieties. Dur- 

 ing the heated part of the day, the mossy tracts in the tepid, 

 shallow water of the little inlets were thronged with them, 

 as they swam in gentle undulations over the smooth surface 

 or idly basked on the heated rocks along the shore. In no 

 other locality have we ever seen them in such numbers. 



