The Rat Snakes or Colubers 



Coluber. These distinct varieties will be treated under separate 

 heads in the succeeding pages. 



The typical Pilot Blacksnake is a serpent often confused 

 with the Common Blacksnake or Racer (Bascanion constrictor}, 

 a reptile to which it bears little resemblance except in presenting 

 a generally black appearance. The difference between these 

 snakes may be briefly outlined for the student's convenience, 

 thus: 



a. Scales keeled and polished. ") 



b. Head broad and square. ! Pilot Blacksnake, 



c. Black, with white spots on the f Coluber obsoletus. 



edge of the scales J 



a. Scales smooth, with satiny lustre. | Blacksnake; Racer, 



b. Head narrow. 



c. Uniform black. Bascanion constrictor. 



The Pilot Blacksnake is by no means as abundant a serpent 

 as the Racer. 



Dimensions. Occasional specimens are seven and eight 

 feet long, but they considerably exceed the average dimensions. 

 The measurements of a fine specimen, taken in Sullivan County, 

 New York, are given: 



Total Length 5 feet, 6 inches. 



Length of Tail 1 1 \ " 



Greatest Diameter i " 



Width of Head ij " 



Length of Head 2 " 



Distribution. Massachusetts to Florida. Westward in the 

 North to Illinois, and ranging in the South into Texas. In the 

 Northern States this snake frequents mountainous places. 



Habits. A fine specimen captured by the writer, was sunning 

 itself by an opening in the masonry of the "Stone Bridge," over 

 Bull Run Creek, Virginia. Heavily laden with fragments of 

 shells after a trip over the historic battlegrounds, the writer 

 was startled to see the glittering black length of the reptile as 

 it lay on the red dust of the road. Dropping his souvenirs, he 

 rushed for the snake, which, being in the immediate vicinity of 

 escape, started off. By the time the snake had been firmly grasped 

 by the tail, it was a third of its length secreted in a crevice of the 

 masonry, and nothing but long, patient and persistent work suc- 



304 



