174 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



two postsuborbitals. Temporals 3, or 4-4, or 5. Upper labials eight to 

 ten; fourth or fifth entering the eye, seventh and eighth the largest. 

 Lower labials ten to thirteen; seventh the largest. Anterior chin 

 shields very large, posterior very small. Five or six labials in contact 

 with the anterior chin shield. 



Head pointed, eyes large, neck slightly constricted. Body large and 

 strong, tail short and slender. Dorsal scales in 27-33 rows, keeled, 

 with the exception of the first five or ten rows. Ventrals 220-240. 

 Anal entire. Subcaudals 45-60 pairs. 



Color. — Color above from yellowish white to reddish brown, with 

 a dorsal series of large black or brown spots, and with two or three 

 series of smaller spots on each side. Beneath yellow, more or less 

 blotched with black. A black bar, arched forwards, generally extends 

 from orbit to orbit across the head. Lrabials more or less widely edged 

 with black. (Garman.) 



Size.—Totsil length 1480 mm.; tail 187 mm. 



Habitat. — This species occupies the entire interior of 

 the United States and the Mexican plateau to the valley 

 of Mexico. Eastward it crosses the Mississippi Kiver 

 into the prairies of Illinois. Missouri localities : — Phelps, 

 Taney, Stone, and Jasper Counties. In Illinois, St. Clair 

 and Madison Counties. 



Habits. — The Bull Snake is rather scarce in this state. 

 I have never found one myself. Mr. J. C. Miles of Car- 

 thage, Mo., sent me one which had been kept for some 

 time at the High School of Carthage, where it had been 

 teased so much that it acquired a very ill temper and 

 could hiss remarkably loud and long. It sounded like an 

 engine blowing off steam. While hissing it would vibrate 

 its tail rapidly like a Eattle Snake. It did not eat in 

 captivity. 



The food of the Bull Snake consists of rabbits, rats, 

 mi<3e, birds, and eggs. Ditmars gives a very interesting 

 account of the voracity of one of these snakes. ^^The Bull 

 Snake swallowed fourteen hen^s eggs, breaking the shell 

 of each after the egg had passed about a foot down the 

 throat. The demonstration closed by the supply of eggs 

 becoming exhausted and not from any indifference on the 

 reptile 's part. ' ' 



