STRIPED OE GARTER SNAKE. 679 



EuTiENiA SAUEiTA Linnseus. 



Swift Oarter or Ribbon Snake. 



Coluber saurita, LiNNiEus, Haklajs, Stoker. Kirtland, Thompson. 



Leptophis saurifua, Holbrook, DeKat. 



Tropidonotus sauntus, Schlegel, Dumeril and Bibkon, Gukthbr, Pdtnam, Vbrrili., 



Allen. 

 Eutasnia saurita, etfaireyi, Baird and Girard. 



Body very slender, elongated, tapering very gradually to an exceeding long, pointed 

 tail ; upper labials seven on each side, lower ten ; inframaxillaries extending to seventh 

 lower labial; vertical plate elongated, hexagonal; eyes large; general color above 

 dark-brown, with three longitadlnal stripes, extending from the head to tip of tail, 

 fiometimes these stripes become indistinct after passing the anns, the vertebrJil one is 

 very narrow, covering slightly more than one row of scales, and terminating in front on 

 the posterior margin of the occipital plates, the lateral lines are somewhat broader, ex- 

 tending forward to the posterior labials, and situated upon the third and fourth rows of 

 scales from the abdomen ; orbital plates, lower part of head, and gnlar region yellowish- 

 white ; both sides of vertebral line and upper edge of lateral stripes margined with 

 black; abdomen and under part of tail greenish- white, without spots; gastrosteges, 

 175-180 ; urosteges, 115-120 ; dorsal scales in 19 rows, all strongly oarinated. Length, 3 

 feet ; bead, f inch ; tail, 9 inches ; transverse diameter of head, i inch ; of neck, f inch ; 

 circumference of body 3 inches. 



Habitat, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, 

 Michigan, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Texas, Mexico, and Honduras." 



Var. fairiyi, Baird and Girard, has two small yellow spots on the occipital plates, a 

 black lateral band bordered by two rows of black scales, thus making the color below the 

 lateral stripe the same as that above, and the tail somewhat leas than one-third the 

 total length. 



Habitat, Louisiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. 



The typical Eutsenia saurita is common in Ohio, though I have as yet 

 no record of the variety faireyi having been found in the State. It 

 seeks damp or wet retired woods for its residence, is very nimble, climbs 

 trees, and at times takes to water and swims readily. It has been 

 popularly confounded with the next species, but is less active, and of a 

 much slenderer form than E. sirtalis. 



Edt-enia sietalis Linnseus. 



Striped or Oarter Snake. 



Coluber sirtalis, LiNNiEus, Harlan, Kirtland, Stores. 



Tropiionotvs Upunctatua, Schlegel, Dumeril and Bibron. 



Tropiionotua tcenia, DeKat. 



Tropidonotus sirtalis, Holbrook, Verkill, Allen. 



Eutainia sirtalis, parietalis, et dorsalis, Baird and Girard. 



Eutainia haydenii, et cooperi, Kknnicott. 



t Coluber ordinatua, LiNN^ns. 



