390 BREEDING HABITS OF SNAKES—HAY. 
The ribbon-snake, HF. sawrita, appears to be wholly similar in its 
breeding habits to its relative just considered, although it probably 
does not bring forth so many young at each birth. Prof. Putnam in- 
forms* us that a female, taken in Massachusetts on July 13, had nine 
eges, each three-fourths inch long and containing an embryo 24 inches 
in length. Another, taken July 51, contained but four eggs, and these 
are ready to be burst by the young. The eggs containing the coiled 
embryos were then an inch and a quarter long, while the extended 
young had a length of 55 inches. Dr. Goode has quoted? a note from 
Herman Strecker, of Reading, Pa., who states that some years pre- 
viously he had found and caged a female of this species which soon 
produced thirty or more young ones. He supposed that the little snakes 
had been hidden in the mother’s stomach. There is possibly some con- 
fusion here with F. sirtalis, judging merely from the number of the 
young. Prof. S. 1. Smith, of the Sheffield Scientifie School, is quoted § 
by Dr. Goode as having seen two young snakes, each Jor 4 inches long, 
run down the mother’s throat. The statement is no doubt incorrect, 
so far as regards the size of the young. ° 
In a female (U.S. Nat. Mus., No. 17965) of the variety fairey?, taken 
probably in Mississippi, I find nine eggs, the hindermost three of which 
are in the left oviduct. The eggs are about three-quarters of an inch 
long and a third of an inch in the short diameter. The development of 
the embryo had just begun. In a female (U.S. Nat. Mus., No. 17952) 
of faireyi, 28 inches long, taken at Veedersburg, Ind., are twelve ovarian 
eges of the same size as those just mentioned. The hinder four are in 
the left ovary. At what time of the year the two specimens last de- 
seribed were killed, Ido not know. In aspecimen of /aireyi, 40 inches 
long (U.S. Nat. Mus., No. 17958), captured at Vicksburg, Miss., about 
the 4th of July, there are twenty young snakes, each close to 9 inches 
in length. The hindermost nine of these are in the left oviduct. ATI 
were evidently ready to be expelled. They did not appear to be con- 
tained in any egg-covering, and the egg-tooth was not found in any 
of the three which were examined. While this date is not quite so 
late as that given by Dr. Abbott for the finding of the eggs of this 
species in New Jersey, we must take into account the difference in the 
climate, and especially the difference in the size of the young snakes, 
The species of the related genus Tropidonotus are also ovoviviparous. 
T. sipedon, our water-snake, is the commonest species of the genus in 
the eastern United States. It is extremely variable and reaches a 
large size. Prof. Putnam has a note regarding the breeding habits of 
this species.* He states that twenty-two of the young belonging to one 
family were found. Each of them was 8 inches long. Dr. Heilprin 
mentions? a large specimen from which thirty-three young were taken. 
* Amer. Nat. Vol. 11, p. 134. 
t Proc. A. A. A. S., 1873, p. 18. 
¢ Proc. Phil. Acad. Sei., 1887, p. 121. 
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