30. PHYLLORHYNCHUS31. ELAPHE 697 



was collected by Mr. Herbert Brown at Yuma, Arizona. 

 Miss Atsatt recently recorded the finding of one in the 

 wash from Tahquitz Creek, near Palm Springs, Riverside 

 County, California. 



Remarks. This and the preceding may eventually be 

 found to be one species. There is little if any difference 

 except in the keeling of the scales. 



Habits. Miss Atsatt very kindly has furnished me with 

 a photograph of the snake found at Tahquitz Creek, and 

 the following notes on the habits: 



"The specimen of Phyllorhynchus decurtatus lived until 

 July. It is now in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of 

 the University of California. During the period it was un- 

 der observation if it was in a box of sand open to the light 

 it spent most of the time under the sand. When it was dug 

 out of the loose sand and placed on top it soon reburied 

 itself. When stimulated by light or other means the snake 

 could bury itself completely in two or three minutes. Sev- 

 eral times attempts were made at digging a hole. Perhaps 

 it digs its own tunnel under a rock. Light rather than heat 

 seemed to be the stimulus to produce hiding in sand. Food 

 was persistently rejected although some beaten egg was 

 licked off snout when the snake could not reach a surface on 

 which to rub it off. Several times water was drunk from 

 the end of a pipette." 



Genus 31. Elaphe 



Coluber BOIE, Isis von Oken, 1826, p. 209 (type, C. Jtavescens); COPE, 

 Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. I, 1875, p. 39; BOULENGER, Cat. Snakes 

 Brit. Mus., Vol. II, 1894, P- 24; COPE, Report U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 for 1898, 1900, p. 825. 



