REPTILES. 117 



defend itself, and when surprised is usually easily captured. The 

 ease with which they are captured is in part due to their inability 

 to escape, owing to the extreme awkwardness of their movements on 

 land. When moving slowly this is scarcely noticeable, but Avhen 

 they attempt to move rapidly to escape capture their efforts are 

 peculiarly odd and ineffective. The movements consist in throwing 

 the body in long curves in a manner closely analogous to the wig- 

 gling motion by which garter-snakes swim in deep Avater, and which 

 results in much movement and muscular effort, but very little prog- 

 ress. This movement may be greatlj^ augmented by putting the 

 snake on a smooth surface, but it is not entire!}" due to the nature 

 of the surface, as it can scarcely make any headway' on a surface 

 where sirtalis will glide away with comparative ease. This is one 

 of the most striking characteristics of hutleri and was first noticed 

 by Eeddick (1895, 261), who comments upon it in the following 

 words : 'It is short and chubbv, and its movement is verv character- 

 istic of it. It does not have the gliding movement of E. saurita nor 

 the swift and active movement of the Xatrlx slpedon, but seems 

 rather to exert a large amount of force to do little crawling. The 

 movement is so characteristic that I believe anvone having once 

 seen the peculiar way in Avhicli it tries to hurry itself away would 

 ever after be able to recognize it at a distance.' 



''Fortunately no doubt attaches to the species w^hich Mr. Eeddick 

 had, for tlie specimen upon which this observation was based has 

 been examined, and it is unquestionably a 'butler L The movement 

 seems to be verv similar to the method of locomotion described for 

 the so-called at rata specimens of ordlnoides byDitmars (1907, 227). 



''Observations upon the food habits of butler I are but f ragmen t- 

 arv. As announced in 1904, it is fond of eartliworms and small 

 frogs, but I have since found that in captivity it apparently prefers 

 small fish. As a rule it is impossible to get them to take either 

 worms or frogs if dead, but it is apparently a matter of unconcern 

 to them whether the fish be alive or dead, as tliev will greedilv eat 

 specimens of the latter which have begun to decompose. Young in- 

 dividuals four or five davs old will eat as manv as three or four 

 small minnows successivelv. 



''Females taken in July are usually pregnant, and the number of 

 young is apparently small. In the specimens examined the number 

 of embryos is about twelve to fifteen. One specimen which was 

 taken in late July, 1905, and kept in captivitj^ gave birth during 

 the first part of August to ten young. The members of this brood 

 were not all born on the same date, but appeared at different times 



