REVISION OF THE KING SNAKES. 193 



in Cheboygan County, jMichigan, disgorged an adult meadow vole 

 (Microtus pennsylvanicus); another had eaten an adult short-tailed 

 shrew (Blarina hrevicaudata) . 



Its presence in the vicinity of dwellings may be largely explained 

 by its fondness for mice. Better than a cat, it can follow a mouse 

 to its nest and eat the whole brood of young. Ditmars (1907, 344) 

 mentions finding one that had been killed in a barn, in Sullivan 

 County, Now York, that had in its stomach five very young rats. 

 Surface (1906, 178-179) finds that in Pennsylvania three-fourths 

 of the food of this snake consists of small mammals, chiefly mice, 

 and that the destructive meadow mouse (Microtus feniisylvanicus) 

 constitutes about half its food. This fact alone should be sufficient 

 to assure its protection at the hands of farmers and others; and, 

 when one considers that it is a perfectly harmless, non-aggressive, 

 unfearing creature, he may well wonder why it is so persistently 

 persecuted. Its lack of fear is one cause of its great decrease in 

 numbers. As a farmer will say, ' ' You have to kick it out of the way." 

 Of course it is considered poisonous by the majority of people, and is 

 killed for that reason, or just because it is a snake. Many snakes 

 are, indeed, of slight, if any, economic value; some, as the rattle- 

 snakes that destroy pests, have the disadvantage of being poisonous, 

 but the spotted adder, or milk snake, has perhaps the distinction 

 of combining the greatest number of valuable traits with the mini- 

 mum of undesirable or neutral qualities. It is true that he must 

 be charged with the eating of young birds when the nests are located 

 in accessible places, but Surface (1906, 178-179) has shown that 

 birds constitute but a small proportion of its diet, and doubtless 

 some of the birds it is found to have eaten were taken dead. Snakes 

 and lizards constitute a regular, although small, proportion of its diet. 

 It is known to eat the Butler garter snake (ThamnopMs hutleri), the 

 smooth green snake (Liopeltis vemalis), the water snake (Natrix 

 sipedon), the ring-necked snake (DiadopMs punctatus, McAtee, 1907, 

 10); De Kay's snake, the queen snake or striped water snake, the 

 red-bellied snake, robin's eggs, jumping mice, the white-footed mouse, 

 and slugs are charged to it by Surface (1906, 178-179); and young 

 individuals have been observed, in captivity, to eat small dead 

 minnows, and pieces of the same. 



"In captivity [Ditmars, 1907, 344] this snake is indifferent in 

 feeding and seldom lives long. It prefers mice, which are quickly 

 constricted to death in the reptile's strong coils. Young specimens 

 can seldom be induced to take food of any character. Although 

 rather a quiet reptile, the milk snake will sometimes resent handling 

 in a curious and rather treacherous manner. Without a pretense 

 of striking it will swing the head about suddenly and grasp the hand, 

 when it deliberately chews in such a manner that the fine, recurved 



