THE SNAKES 243 



bon Snake were placed far inland, it might soon starve. 

 Unlike most members of the genus, it does not feed 

 upon earthworms. The food consists entirely of small 

 frogs, toads, tadpoles and fishes. Thus the reason for 

 haunting the immediate vicinity of water. A very large 

 specimen is a yard long and half an inch in diameter at 

 the thickest part of the body. It is difiicult to imagine a 

 prettier or daintier reptile. The body is exceedingly 

 slender and the bright, sulphur j^ellow stripes impart an 

 effect well worthy the popular name ; between the stripes 

 is a rich, velvety, blackish brown. The ej^es are large, 

 with golden-red iris. Closelj^ related is the Southern 

 Ribbon Snake, E. sackenii, on which the central stripe 

 is represented merely by a pale streak for a short dis- 

 tance behind the head; on the sides the stripes are well- 

 defined. The form is exactly like the northern species. 

 The writer found this snake fairly common in the low- 

 grounds bordering the Savannah River, in Hampton 

 County, South Carolina. Specimens were seen sunning 

 on branches of bushes overhanging the water. When 

 frightened, they dove into the coffee-colored water and 

 swam out of sight. A larger and stouter species is the 

 Western Ribbon Snake, E. proxima, common west of 

 the Mississippi River; also in the states of Illinois and 

 Iowa. The dorsal or central stripe is much darker than 

 the lateral ones, generally a rich ochre, while the side 

 stripes are lemon yellow; on some the central stripe is 

 red. Newly-born specimens are the most dainty of rep- 

 tiles. A litter seldom exceeds twelve to fourteen; this 

 is also the rule with the other slender-bodied species. 



The Plains Garter Snake, E. radix, abounds in the 

 plains region of the United States. It is stout-bodied, 

 but appeals to the ribbon snakes in having the lateral 

 stripe on the third and fourth rows of scales, and par- 



