NATURE'S CALENDAR 



j^g^y j^ Few snakes are born so early in the 



season, but one of these exceptions is the 



common hognose, or spreadhead, which 

 lays about twenty-five eggs in the sandy 

 soil. According to Dr. C. C. Abbott, 

 these may sometimes be found (in cen- 

 tral New Jersey) in May. This month 

 seems to be the regular breeding-season 

 in southern New Jersey of the pine, or 

 bull snake, a circumstantial account of 

 which appeared in the American Natii- 

 7'aUst for 1893, p. 878. In this case the 

 snake wormed its way head-first into the 

 dry soil of a cultivated field, until it had 

 concealed its whole body in a sort of tun- 

 nel some six inches beneath the surface. 

 Early in August these eggs were ex- 

 humed, and found to be a cluster of ten. 

 well glued together, some elongated and 

 some nearly globular, averaging about 

 two inches and a quarter long, and hav- 

 ing a parchment-like skin thinly encrust- 

 ed with lime. The embryos then seemed 

 nearlv ready to hatch. Dr. Samuel Lock- 

 wood {Am. Nat., ix., 3) had an adult cap- 

 tive which laid its eggs (in northern New 

 Jersey) on July 18, so that, like others, 

 this species is probably variable in its 

 breeding-time. 



A turtle whose eggs are laid at this 

 season is the soft-shelled one, whose fe- 

 males now come out of the water in 

 search of sandy places, where they bury 

 their eggs, generally about sixty in num- 

 ber, after which she goes back to the 



