AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 261 



small is due in large part to the fact that only a few species get as 

 far north as this latitude. To this grpup, however, belong the hog- 

 nosed snake {H. platyrhinus) , the fox snake (Elaphe vulpinus) and 

 the skink {Eumeces quinquelineatus) . Being dry habitat forms we 

 should expect these species, if present in the fauna, to seek this 

 habitat, but, while they may also be occasionally found in the ad- 

 joining clay country, I believe that one cause of their abundance in 

 this region is the xerophilous nature of the terrestrial habitats (see 

 p. 28 et seq). Three other species, Lampropeltis doliatus triangulus, 

 Storeria dekayi and S. occipitomaculata, were practically confined to 

 this habitat, but this was probably not due to the aridity of the 

 conditions but merel}' to the fact that they prefer high terrestrial 

 conditions and have been able to persist here. 



Other forms that occur in, but are not peculiar to, this habitat 

 are the ubiquitous garter snakes {T . sirtalis, T. sauritus), the green 

 snake (Liopeltis vernalis), and the tree toads, Hyla versicolor and H. 

 pickeringi, all species which occur also in the swamps. 



LIST OF SPECIES. 



Amphibia. 



1. Necturus maculosus Rafinesque. ]Mud-puppy. — No specimens 

 of this amphibian were observed, but the fishermen informed the 

 writer that individuals were frequently caught in the pound-nets off 

 Sand Point. 



2. Plethodon cinereus (Green). Red-backed salamander. — We 

 found this salamander much less common than might be expected. 

 Only 15 specimens were secured, and these were all taken east of 

 Caseville, in and under moist decaying logs in the swamps between 

 the sand ridges. Individuals were also taken in the clay country 

 immediately adjoining— in the low woods at the east end of Rush 

 Lake. 



3. Ambystoma jeffersonianum (Green). Jefferson salamander. — 

 This little salamander apparently occurs throughout the sand region. 

 It was found under logs in damp places — usually in the swamps 

 among the ridges. On Sand Point a number of specimens were taken 

 under decaying logs on the fossil beaches. It was also found in the 

 woods at the east end of Rush Lake. 



Both spotted and uniformly black specimens were taken. In the 

 spotted individuals the ground color was black above and blackish 

 slate beneath, and the spots, both above and below, dark blue (about 

 CC. 403).* 



*KlincksUck; and Valet te. Code des Couleurs, Paris, 1908. 



