MACKAY ON KING AND GARTER SNAKES. xli 



SIXTH ORDINARY MEETING. 



Legislative Council Chamber, Halifax, 13th April, 1896. 

 The PRESIDENT in the chair. 



HARRY PIERS, ESQ., read a paper entitled, " Preliminary Notes on 

 the Orthoptera of Nova Scotia," illustrated by a collection of the 

 insects described. (See Transactions). 



The paper was discussed by DRS. SOMERS and MACKAY, and MR. 

 MILLER. 



DR. A. H. MACKAY presented a desiccated specimen of Diadophis 

 punctatus (L.), the Ring-necked or King Snake of Nova Scotia, for 

 examination by the members present. The specimen was captured 

 alive during the previous fall, at Pine Hill, near the Park, and was pre- 

 sented to him by the Rev. Dr. Gordon. Its habits in captivity were 

 described, the principal one (not referred to in the other papers read 

 before the Institute) being its ability, after moistening its ventral plates 

 by passing through water, of climbing up the-more than vertical walls 

 of a tall glass beaker in which it was kept. As the mouth of this large 

 beaker was covered with a sheet of thin cotton cloth clamped around 

 its mouth by a rubber band, the snake used to climb up to the top and 

 take a circular position around the mouth and as close to the band as 

 possible. For a couple of months it was presented with quite a variety 

 of things to eat and drink, but was never observed to take advantage 

 of what was offered, except to go gliding through the water or other 

 liquid supplied. Being neglected for a week or more towards the 

 beginning of winter, it was found dead and desiccated one day, when 

 the experiments came to a close. It agreed closely with the specimen 

 described in detail by Mr. Harry Piers on the 14th March, 1892. (See 

 Vol. VIIL, page 181, Trans. N. S. Inst. Sci.). 



He then described an exciting frog hunt by one of three large 

 Garter Snakes, (Eutainia sirtalis) two of them having been killed to- 

 give the frog a better chance which he had the good fortune to see on, 

 the partially dry bed of a rivulet near the Nictaux river in Annapolis 

 county. The cunning and persistent determination shown by the snake- 

 in this case was most remarkable, whether in swimming and diving in 

 the clear gravel-bottomed pool, or in climbing the rock and the bank. 



