MELLISH SERPENTS OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. 165 



Trophidonatus Sirtalis. Hoi. 

 T.rophidonatus taenia. DeKay. 



This snake, so common in almost all countries in the temperate 

 zones, is found on the Island in large numbers. It seems to attain 

 to a much greater size than in Nova Scotia. 1 have frequently 

 seen them from 2£ feet to 3£ feet in length ; and from 2^ inches to 

 5 inches in circumference at the thickest part. I think the colour 

 too is generally darker than that of the Nova Scotia Garter Snake, 

 although in some cases the belly is nearly white. They often resist 

 when attacked. The largest one I have seen measured 4 feet 9 

 inches in length, and was 4£ inches in circumference. It was 

 beautifully coiled up beside a decayed tree, enjoying the afternoon 

 sun of an August day. It is believed that they receive their young 

 in their stomachs, on the approach of danger. I have seen them 

 with toads in their stomachs ; in one instance the snake had three 

 toads in his stomach at once, and was almost completely torpid. 

 These snakes have frequently been seen swimming across the 

 Hillsboro, near Charlottetown, where the river is over a mile in 

 width. They look very pretty in the water — the head erect several 

 inches above water, and moving about from side to side with the 

 motion peculiar to the serpent, and the body and tail sweeping 

 behind. 



The Black Snake. 



Bascanion Constrictor. B. & G. 



This snake is not as rare on the Island as it is in Nova Scotia. 

 Dr. Thomas Dawson, of Charlottetown, informed me that he once 

 found four together in the woods. They seemed to be very torpid, 

 and were just recovering from their long winter sleep. It is gene- 

 rally much smaller than the Garter Snake, although in a few cases 

 I have known them to exceed three feet in length. One of these, 

 which was accompanied by several young ones, became very furious 

 when struck, and actually sprang several yards at its assailant, who 

 succeeded in killing it, but not without considerable effort. The 

 epidermis (of all the varieties I presume) is frequently found entire, 



