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CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



Remarks. — This subspecies remains remarkably true to its 

 peculiar color characters throughout the vast area which con- 

 stitutes the greater portion of its range. It is only along the 

 western edge of this area that much variation occurs. Speci- 

 mens from western Nevada and from eastern California vary 

 towards T. o. hiscutatus, T. o. couchii and T. o. elegans, so that 

 it may be said that intergradation with all these forms occurs. 

 Thus, specimens from Humboldt County, Nevada, frequently 

 have two preoculars as in T. o. hiscutatus, and certain speci- 

 mens from near Lake Tahoe leave one in doubt as to whether 

 they might best be referred to T. o. vagrans, T. o. couchii or 

 even T. o. elegans. 



The two specimens from the San Pedro Martir Mountains 

 in northern Lower California, which formerly were referred 

 to T. hammondii, are very typical vagrans in coloration, but 

 have low gastrostege counts. They constitute by far the most 

 southern record for this subspecies and offer an interesting 

 problem in distribution, for T. o. vagrans has never been taken 

 in southern California. 



The snakes taken at Elko, Nevada, had been feeding on the 

 larvae of Rana pipiens. 



