no. 2078. REPTILES OF NORTHWESTERN NEVADA— RICHARDSON. 433 



throat light yellow, yellow or dull white, belly green with slate mark- 

 ings, light yellow, gray, gray brown, or brown with a green tinge. 



The Palisade series shows little diversity in color. The median 

 dorsal stripe is present in all specimens and is gray-white in color. 

 The lateral stripes are darker gray than the dorsal stripe. The dorsal 

 color is olive or olive brown with one or two rows of black spots on 

 either side of the median stripe which vary considerable in size, the 

 upper series often encroaching upon the median stripe. The head is 

 olive or olive brown, the throat light yellow or gray-white, the belly 

 gray or blue gray sometimes with a green tinge and often mottled 

 heavily with slate. Except in the uniform presence of the median 

 dorsal stripe, this series does not differ from the Carson series. 



Habits. — At Tallac, California, garter snakes of this species were 

 seen frequently along small streams where they were catching min- 

 nows (Agosia and Richardsonius, sp.) which were running up from 

 the lake to spawn. Although a frog (Rana pipiens) was taken from 

 the stomach of one snake, practically all of those dissected contained 

 minnows. A dozen or more had collected at the foot of a dam on the 

 Humboldt River, 9 miles below Palisade, Nevada, where they were 

 fairly gorging themselves upon the fish which were running in great 

 numbers at that time. A specimen secured at Pine Creek near Pali- 

 sade was attempting to swallow a Cottoid (Cottus beldingi) head 

 first, but was experiencing some difficulty on account of the large 

 spine-armed head of its victim. From field observations and stom- 

 ach dissections, it is clear that the smaller minnows form the chief 

 food of elegans in the Lahontan Basin during the greater part of 

 June and July. Never did we observe this garter snake far from 

 water. 



Four females containing large eggs were obtained at the following 

 places : one from Pyramid Lake Indian Agency, Nevada, May 25-27 ; 

 one from Tahoe City, California, June 27 ; and two from the vicinity 

 of Palisade, Nevada, July 3 and 4. Five young specimens in the 

 collection from the vicinity of Tallac (June 10-24) had very promi- 

 nent scars marking the attachment of the yolk sac which suggested 

 that they were of recent birth. None of the other adult females, 

 however, contained large eggs. 



CROTALUS OREGONUS Holbrook. 



Locality. — Only one specimen of this species was secured, although 

 it was reported to be abundant in several of the localities visited. 

 The one individual came from the hills east of Pyramid Lake Indian 

 Agency, Nevada, on May 28. It has been recorded previously from 

 the vicinity of Pyramid Lake and the Truckee River, Nevada. Speci- 

 59758°— Proc.N.M.vol.48— 14 28 



