310 University of California Publications in Zoology [^^l. 21 



by the box, under some paper, back to the box, and so on. It was 

 frantic when it got from tlie shade directly into sunshine. The tem- 

 perature in the sun was 36° and in the shade about 28°. The reaction 

 was so quick that the snake itself could not have become warmer. 

 The snake was rather exhausted when put back into sand of about 

 30° and the cover put on the can. There it remained quiet on top 

 of the ground for over an hour. 



Although these experiments do not completely eliminate heat as 

 a controlling factor, it is evident that light is a much stronger control. 

 The action under the blue filter, when the heat rays were partially 

 cut out, was the same as in direct sunshine. The temperature under 

 the blue filter made no difference in reaction, for on April 16 when 

 the temperature was rather low, between 18° and 21°, the snake acted 

 exactly as it did every time under the blue filter. It showed signs 

 of extreme stimulation and made frantic endeavors to get out of the 

 box or into the sand ; it even made attempts to dig a hole, and event- 

 ually tried to coil in one of the depressions scooped out. Moreover, 

 the responses to direct sunlight were so rapid as to make it improb- 

 able that they were due alone to the quickening of muscular and 

 nervous activity as a result of a rise in temperature of the snake. 

 Again, the snake showed no objection to sand artificially heated con- 

 siderably above the temperature of the sunlight to which it was 

 exposed. 



FOOD AND WATER 



Various kinds of food were offered the snake, but all solid food 

 was consistently rejected. Since the snake must be out on the surface 

 of the ground in dim light only, and since it is small in size, the most 

 probable food would seem to be insects. Ants were tried in vain. 

 When an ant crawled on the snake, the snake gave evidence of panic 

 and thrust its head into the sand. When ants carrying pupae and 

 therefore unable to bite were placed in the can the snake tried to get 

 away by burying its head. Green aphids, gray aphids, woolly aphids, 

 mealy bugs, house flies, fruit flies, larvae and adults of mealworm 

 beetles, ladybird beetles, caterpillars, small moths, doodle-bugs, sow- 

 bugs, and spiders were tried. They brought no response except appar- 

 ent fear and efforts to get out of the way. Raw meat, cooked meat, 

 old odoriferous meat, and cheese offered no inducements. Vegetation 

 aroused no interest. The snake was too small to be fed forcibly with 



