2o6 



NATURE'S CALENDAR 



September i8 



with the young born from the egg-laying 

 snakes, which are exposed to many dan- 

 gers in the eggs from which the young of 

 the viviparous snakes are saved. 



Several snakes do not lay their eggs 

 until late in August, or even until this 

 month, most of them hatching by the 

 middle of September. This is probably 

 true of the blacksnake, although exact 

 evidence of it is wanting. It is known to 

 be true of the pretty green snake {^Coluber 

 vernalis): "On August 30th," says F. W. 

 Putnam {A>n. Nat. ii., 134), " I found the 

 eggs. . . seven in number, just under the 

 old bark and moss of a decayed stump in 

 a meadow. These eggs, which were just on 

 the point of hatching . . . were an inch 

 in length by half an inch in diameter, and 

 the young snakes were 5.13 inches long." 



As to the hognose {HeterodoJi^., its eggs 

 have been reported in May, July, August 

 (30th), and September; and Mr. O. P. Hay 

 (Proc. Nat. Museum, 1892), remarks: "I 

 think that this species, like most other 

 species, produce their young rather late 

 in the season; but I see no reason for 

 not believing that some individuals may 

 not bear their eggs over the winter and 

 lay them in the spring." 



The toads go into hibernation this 

 month — earliest of their race. Young 

 salamanders complete their metamor- 

 phoses, and the green newts lose their 

 gills and go ashore, where their " color 

 gradually changes from an olive-green to 



September 19 



