REPTILES. Ill 



three feet. Body of nearly the same diameter from the head to the 

 tail. Head relatively small, broad and flat, as compared with the 

 usual form as exhibited, for instance, in the garter snakes. The 

 sides of the head are low in the milk snake so that the nasals, loreal 

 and oculars are also low, and the whole head is short, and the eye 

 small. Cephalic plates normal in number and form. Eostral nor- 

 mal. Temporals usually 2 in the first row. A single loreal. Nasals 

 two, the nostril between them. 



Dorsal scale formula usually 21-19-17: scales smooth and with 

 two pits. Supralabials 7; infralabials usually 9, occasionally 7 or 



* 



8. Oculars 1-2. Temporals usually 2. Ventrals 195-201; subcau- 

 dals 42-51. Anal plate entire. 



Ground color brownish ash or brownish yellow. Five series of 

 dorsal blotches of which those of the median row are much the 

 largest, broader than long and involve twelve to fifteen rows across 

 the back. They are chestnut brown (inclining to red in the young) 

 to olive brown in color, and bordered with black. On the sides, 

 involving the second to fifth rows, and alternating with the verte- 

 bral series, a row of smaller circular brownish spots, and below 

 and alternating with these another series of small black spots that 

 involves the edges of the ventral plates and the first one to three 

 dorsal scale rows. Belly white blotched with small squares of 

 black. Tail crossed by half rings of black. A dark band across 

 the posterior half of the prefrontals another from the eye to the 

 corner of the mouth. On the nape a large spot of the ground color 

 usually surrounded bv extensions of the first dorsal blotch, these 

 extensions uniting again on the parietals in a blotch that includes 

 a V or heart-shaped spot of the ground color; but there are many 

 variations from this arrangement. 



HaMts and Eahitat: The milk snake is a rather common snake 

 in southern Michigan, although not as frequently seen as some of 

 the other species. Its apparent rarity is due to its secretiveness. 

 It lives principally in and under fallen logs in the woods, but is 

 found commonly about barns and outbuildings, probably in search 

 of food. The name is a misnomer and originated in the popular 

 idea that these snakes suck cow^s or steal milk from pans in the 

 dairies. It is hardlv necessary to state that this is an absolute 

 fallacy. The food, as shown bv examinations of stomach contents 

 and by direct observations, is as follows : slugs, unidentifiable in- 

 vertebrates, red-bellied snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) , DeKays 

 snake {Storeria clekayi), unidentifiable bird, robins eggs, unidenti- 

 fied mammals, jumping mouse, unidentifiable mouse, meadow mouse. 

 Microtis sp?, white footed mouse, house mouse (Surface, 1906, 



