264 AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 



partially buried in the debris. Both in the woods and on the beaches 

 nests were occasionally found in the sand beneath a log or board 

 where there was only a small amount of decaying wood, but in every 

 case there was at least a small amount. Females taken on June 19 

 were pregnant, containing large eggs apparently nearly ready to be 

 laid. The first sets observed were on July 2, and on and after this 

 date nests of eggs were found in numbers. Everything went to 

 show that the eggs are mostly laid about the first of July. None 

 were observed before this date, and those collected on July 2 were 

 all clean — they usually become much stained from the decaying 

 wood after being in the nest for some time. The number of eggs in 

 the set was counted in eight instances and were as follows: 6, 6, 8, 

 8, 9, 11, 13, 14. An examination of the pregnant females shows that 

 the number in each set varies with the size (age?) of the female, the 

 smaller ones having 6 to 8 eggs, the larger ones 9 to 14. It is inter- 

 esting to compare this with the statement of Ditmars (1907, 202) 

 that he found the normal numbers to be 3 or 4, and that of Strecker 

 (1908, 169) "the several sets that I have examined Avere all of 8 eggs 

 each." 



It was interesting to observe the behavior of the female when with 

 her eggs. As is well known she remains with them until they are 

 hatched, but for what purpose is not evident. We usually found 

 them coiled about the eggs, but sometimes they simply lay beside 

 them. In any case there seemed to be no attempt to come in im- 

 mediate contact with the eggs, and indeed this would have been im- 

 possible in most instances, as the eggs themselves were not even in 

 contact with each other, being somewhat scattered about in the de- 

 caying debris. However, there seemed to be a disposition on the 

 part of the female to keep her set together; several times I saw a 

 female leave her position and crawl about the eggs, and when she 

 encountered one which I had displaced, lick it and then nose it back 

 with the others. If care was taken in removing the outer shell of 

 the log to expose the nest, the female would remain with the eggs, 

 only burying herself deeper in the loose debris when her head w^as 

 exposed to the light. 



The first young of the year were observed on July 31, when a fe- 

 male was found under a small log on a sand beach, coiled about a 

 nest of 8 eggs from which the young were emerging. In life the 

 ground color of the young was black; the stripes yellow (CC. 202), 

 the tail bright blue (CC. 436). 



One of the enemies of the skink is the milk snake {Lampropeltis 

 doliatus triangulus) that captures it in decaying logs. 



