NOTES ON BUTLER'S GARTER SNAKE. 



By Leonhard Stejneger, 



Curator of the Department of Reptiles and Batrachians. 



The garter snakes of North America constitute one of the most diffi- 

 cult groups with which the ophiok>gist has to deal. The geographical 

 variation is recognized to be excessive, while at the same time the 

 individual variation is so great as to obscure the boundaries between 

 the species. The result is that there is a great diversity of opinion 

 among authors as to the number of species and the proper limitation of 

 the forms, and while one is inclined to recognize a long series of species, 

 another will only allow a very limited number indeed, though admitting 

 numerous ''varieties," at least of some of the species. 



While undoubtedly many a slight variety, or even iiulividual freak, 

 has been designated as a species, on the other hand, some of the most 

 distinct species have suffered degradation to mere varieties or sub- 

 species. 



The Thamnophis hntleri of Cope is an example of this. In 1889 

 Prot. Cope described a single specimen from Richmond, Ind., under 

 the above name, dedicating it to Amos W. Butler. In describing it he 

 stated expressly that "it is remarkably distinct from everything which 

 occurs in the United States, and has only a superficial resemblance to 

 the E.favilahns, Cope, of Mexico." This statement alone should have 

 prevented it from ever becoming associated with Thamii02Jh(s sirtalis SiS 

 a subspecies until additional material should establish the incorrectness 

 of Prof. Cope's standpoint, who, having himself endeavored to sub- 

 ordinate the various binominals under other forms as trinominals, 

 would have been able to discover the relationship with T. sirtaUs, if such 

 relationship existed. But no such additional material has been forth- 

 coming. 



It is therefore with great satisfaction that I aunounce that a second 

 specimen has recently been obtained and added to the collection of the 

 National Museum. It was collected by Mr. P. H. Kirsch, of the 

 U. S. Fish Commission, at Cedar Creek, Waterloo, Ind., on July 17, 

 1893. This specimen, No. 21692 U.S.N.M., corroborates everything 

 Prof. Cope said about the species in the original description and sub- 



Proceedings of the U. S. Xational Museum, Vol. XVII— Xo. 1021. 



Proc. N. M. 94 38 593 



