588 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



eyes were white, and the snake instead of seeing, apparently 

 listened. Another was seen in Walley's woods September 21, 1900. 

 On August 13, 1906, a very large one was seen half-concealed in 

 the briars near the ice-houses. When approached it made its tail 

 rattle among the dry leaves precisely like a rattlesnake. On Au- 

 gust 14, 1906, a large one was caught near Bass Lake. Another, 

 5 to 6 feet long was seen in Walley's cornfield September 20, 1907. 

 It was coiled loosely at the base of a cornstalk and seemed disin- 

 clined to move, though it stuck out its tongue repeatedly. 



This snake is usually lustrous blue-black or pitch-black above 

 and greenish below; chin and throat white. Young olive, with 

 rhomboid black blotches. Body very slender; eye large, scales in 

 17 or 19 rows; ventral plates 170 to 190. Length 4 to 5 feet. 



8. HOUSE SNAKE 



LAMPROPELTIS TRIANGULUM (Lacepede) 



This is the Common House Snake or Milk Snake so abundant 

 in most of the upper Mississippi Valley States. It does not appear 

 to be very common, however, about Maxinkuckee. The only ex- 

 ample seen by us was obtained July 28, 1899, at our station near 

 the Arlington Hotel. It is one of the mildest and most useful of 

 snakes and feeds largely upon the various species of small noxious 

 mammals. Its habits, however, are not entirely beneficial, as it 

 will, on occasion, not refuse to eat such hens' eggs and birds' eggs 

 as it may find. 



We have never seen it swimming in the water and do not know 

 whether it ever feeds on fishes or other aquatic animals. 



Color, grayish, with three series of brown, rounded blotches 

 bordered with black, about 50 in the dorsal row; an arrow-shaped 

 occipital spot; belly yellowish- white, with square black blotches; 

 dorsal scales in 21 rows. In the young the dorsal blotches are 

 bright chestnut red inside of the black margins, and the spaces be- 

 tween are sometimes white or clear ash. 



9. HOG-NOSED SNAKE 



HETERODON CONTORTRIX (Linnaeus) 



This interesting reptile, also known as Spreading Adder and 

 Blowing Viper, is found throughout the eastern United States. It 

 is a common and well known species in most parts of Indiana. 



It frequents dry situations such as cultivated fields, old fence- 

 rows, open pastures and roadsides ; also dry hillsides and the banks 

 of streams. At times it may be seen along water-courses and the 



