834 13. COLUBRIDJE 



and offer an interesting problem in distribution, for T. o. 

 vagrans has never been taken in southern California. 



Habits. The snakes taken at Elko, Nevada, had been 

 feeding on the larvae of Rana p-piens. 



Ruthven and Gaige, who observed this snake in Elko 

 County, Nevada, state: "The species is quite aquatic in its 

 habits. It is generally found in the immediate vicinity of 

 water, and often in the streams or ponds. From the stom- 

 achs examined it would appear that most of the food is 

 secured in the water. One specimen had eaten a small toad, 

 and five others had captured fish and tadpoles. It is a 

 voracious feeder. The stomach of one individual contained 

 eight large tadpoles, that of another five fish, and one had 

 eaten a fish 141 mm. in length besides a smaller one. Three 

 pregnant females brought back alive gave birth to eight, 

 ten and 12 young on August 25, September 2 and Sep- 

 tember 10." 



188. Thamnophis ordinoides biscutatus (Cope) 



KLAMATH GARTER-SNAKE 



Plate 90 



Eutania biscutata COPE, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1883, p. 21 (type 



locality, Klamath Lake, Oregon); COPE, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 



Vol. XIV, 1892, p. 651. 

 Thamnophis vagrans biscutata VAN DENBURCH, Occas. Papers Cal. Acad. 



Sci., V, 1897, P- 2I2 > VAN DENBURGH, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., Ser. 



4, Vol. Ill, 1912, p. 158. 

 Eutania elegant biscutata BROWN, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1903, 



p. 291; DITMARS, Reptile Book, 1907, p. 229. 

 Thamnophis ordinoides elegans RUTHVEN, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 



61, 1908, p. 138 (part). 

 Thamnophis ordinoides biscutatus VAN DENBURGH & SLEVIN, Proc. Cal. 



Acad. Sci., Ser. 4, Vol. VIII, 1918, p. 245, pi. n. 



