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gardens, about yards and barn lots, in grassy meadows and in open wood- 

 land,, in marshy ground along streams and about lakes, and particularly 

 along paths and publio highways. It perhaps most delights in reedy, 

 boggy places and lake margins. It is the first snake to be abroad in the 

 spring and one of the last to go into hibernation in the fall. The first 

 warm days of spring will rouse them from their winter's sleep and bring 

 them forth to bask in the sun. Then they may be found usually lying at 

 full length on a mass of dead grass along a fence-row or in some such situa- 

 tion, well exposed so as to get the full effect of the sun's warmest rays. 

 Here they will lie quietly through the middle of the day soaking out the 

 accumulated chill of the long winter. Thus they will pass several days 

 before they begin to move about or to seek food. 



In the fall they appear to be active to the last, continuing to eat 

 until they go into winter quarters. At this season they seem to move 

 about more than usual, perhaps because searching for suitable hybernacula. 

 It is at this season that one so frequently observes their tracks across 

 the dusty highway and when so many are run over and crushed on the 

 public roads and by railroad trains. 



Numerous examples were noted about the lake and in the surround- 

 ing country, and many specimens were collected. Examples were noted 

 in April, July, August, September, October and November, the earliest 

 date being April 9 and the latest November 22. 



A female 3 feet long was killed July 26 and 40 young, each 6 to 7 

 inches long, were taken from her body. This and all other species of 

 the garter snakes are viviparous, bringing forth their young alive. Dr. 

 J. Schenck, of Mt. Carmel, 111., reports that 78 young, 3 to 7 inches long, 

 were taken from a female 35 inches long. 



The garter snake has quite a varied menu. They are known to feed 

 upon insects, insect larvae, small rodents, young birds and bird eggs, toads, 

 frogs, angleworms, small mollusks, tadpoles, salamanders, and small fish. 

 Frogs, toads, fish, shrews and field mice doubtless constitute the major 

 portion of their diet. One found dead on the railroad tracks near the 

 elevator in the late autumn of 1906 was examined. It was quite fat, as 

 snakes are likely to be at that time of year. The stomach was empty of 

 food, but contained a few ascaris-like parasites. 



One the whole, however, this snake is beneficial to the farm and should 

 be protected. The disposition which most people have to kill every snake 

 (in sight is entirely irrational and wholly unjustifiable. 



