EEPTILES 



five, viz., the Riband, Garter, Water, Milk, and 

 Hog-nosed, are larger ones, averaging about three feet 

 in length. They are all quite harmless, if left alone, 

 and several of them are really useful. The Grass 

 Snake is very fond of cut-worm caterpillars that do 

 so much injury to lawns and gardens, and the Milk 

 Snake feeds very largely on field mice and voles 

 two of the farmer's great enemies. 



Order OPHIDIA. 



Red-bellied Snake, Storeria occipitomaculata, 

 Baird & Gir. Not very common; are said to feed 

 on soft-bodied insects. 



DeKay's Brown Snake, Storeria dekayi, Baird & 

 Gir. The commonest of the small snakes ; feeds on 

 earthworms and insects; viviparous and produces 

 from twelve to twenty-four young at a time; often 

 found on the waste land at the sides of railroads. 



Riband Snake, Eutainia saurita, Baird & Gir. A 

 very graceful and beautiful species; not very com- 

 mon ; it used to be found at the Woodbine and Balmy 

 Beach ; feeds on small frogs and earthworms. 



Garter Snake, Eutainia sirtalis, Baird & Gir. The 

 commonest of the large snakes ; frequents woods and 

 grassy fields ; feeds on frogs, toads and earthworms ; 

 viviparous, having as many as twenty young at a 

 time. 



Water Snake, Tropidonotus sipedon, Holbr. 

 Fairly common about streams and ponds; feeds on 

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