Chap. 4. 



REPTILES OF VERMOxNT, 



117 



THE RINGED AND GREEN SNAKES. 



THE BLACK. SNAKE. 



about the same length had 122 plates and 

 46 pair of scales ; the shortest 3.7 in., tail 

 .8, plates 119, scales 42 pair ; the others 

 not counted. 



HisTORV. — This mild and inoffensive 

 little snake, though very common in and 

 about Burlington, is seldom seen in the 

 early jiart of summer. They begin to 

 make their appearance abroad about the 

 beginning of September, and during that 

 month, and the greater part of October, 

 they are in some years met with in large 

 numbers, varying in length from 3 to 10 

 or 11 inches, which is about the extent to 

 which they grow. The siiade of color 

 above seems to be as various as the indi- 

 viduals. In the whole number which I 

 have examined I have not found two 

 alike ; but in all, the contrast between 

 the color above and that of the belly is 

 very marked, and the spots on the neck 

 and at tiie anijle of the moutli have been 

 constant, and in most cases very plain. 



THE RINGED SNAKE. 



Coluber ■punctutus . — Linn.«:uS. 



Descrii'tion. — Color above uniform 

 bluish brown, approaching to black in 

 some specimens; beneath yellow; mar- 

 gin of the upper jaw, lower jaw and band 

 round the neck, yellowish white ; a row 

 of small black spots along each side of the 

 abdomen at the meeting of the dark color 

 above with the light color below ; usually 

 a similar row of spots along the middle of 

 the abdomen from the chin to the vent, 

 but this is wanting in the specimen before 

 me. Head flattish, about the widtli of the 

 body, neck but little smaller than tlic 

 body. Length 13 inches, tail 3, plates 

 364, scales 60 pair. 



History. — This snake is of a timid dis- 

 position, being seldom seen abroad, but 

 is often met with in different parts of the 

 state, concealed under stones, logs, and 

 the bark of old, decayed trees. Its food 

 consists principally of insects. 



THE GREEN SNAKE. 

 Coluber vernalis. — De Kav. 

 Description. — Color above beautiful 

 grass green ; beneath greenish, or yellow- 



ish white ; margin of the upper jaw yel- 

 lowish ; pupil black, upper edge of the 

 iris yellow, below grayish brown. Scales 

 not keeled, smooth, rhoniboidul, with the 

 acute angles truncated, giving them the 

 appearance of unequal sided hexagons. 

 Head flattened and covered with 10 plates, 

 one at the snout, two pair behind these, 

 then 3 plates between the eyes, 2 larger 

 ones behind these upon the occiput, up- 

 per jaw bordered by 15 scales, including 

 the one at the snout; nostril circular, and 

 near the end of the snout. Length of the 

 specimen before me IS*, inches, head ^ in, 

 from the snout to the vent 11.^, tail 6., 

 widtii of the head .3. Tail terminated in 

 a sharp, horn-colored spine. Abdominal 

 plates 131, sub-caudal 170 in the two rows. 

 History. — This beautiful and lively 

 little snake is very common in the west- 

 ern parts of the state, and particularly in 

 the neighborhood of lake Champlain. It 

 is perfectly harmless, and feeds principal- 

 ly upon insects. On the east side of the 

 Green Mountains in this state, it is quita 

 rare, if found at all. 



THE BLACK SNAKE. 



Coluber constrictor . — L i n n vE u s . 



Description. Color above almost 



black ; beneath, slate-color ; neck, mar- 

 gin of the jaws, and snout, yellow. Plates 

 on the top of the head very large; that at 

 the snout convex, projecting, yellow bor- 

 dered with black at the upper and lateral 

 margins ; first pair of plates nearly quad- 

 rangular ; the second, pentagonal ; mid- 

 dle plate between the eyes hexagonal and 

 largest of the three ; 16 plates border the 

 upper jaw ; eyes large ; nostrils large, 

 vertical, situated between the 2d and 3d 

 plates back of the snout; three pair of 

 elongated plates on the throat just back 

 of the chin ; back of these two pair of 

 smaller ones ; back covered with large 

 rhomboidal smooth scales. Length 51 

 inches, tail II. Abdominal plates 184, 

 scales 8.J. — Slnrcr. 



History. — This snake is met with only 

 in the south and southwestern parts of 

 the state, and even there it is not very 

 common. It sometimes grows to the 

 length of 6 feet, and runs with great 

 speed, on which account it is sometimes 

 called the Racer. It is perfectly harm- 

 less, and feeds upon toads, frogs, meadow 

 mice and small birds, swallowing th-^m 

 whole. It was formerly very generally 

 believed to possess the power of fascina- 

 tion, and Dr. Williams adduces (Hist. I 

 — 485,) the testimony of several persons 

 in support of the opinion, but the notion 

 is now very generally exploded. 



