OUR ANCIENT ENEMY THE OPHIDIAN. 73 



lowish ; twentj-seven dorsal rows, the seven onter 

 ones smooth. Eesembles the racer, or black snake, 

 in color only. Mt. Tom, Mass., to Texas ; abundant 

 in southern Illinois. 



The pine, or bull snake {Pityophis melanoleu- 

 cus). Length, sixty inches ; very harmless ; tan and 

 bnff; from twenty-seven to thirty-three dorsal 

 blotches, brown margined with black ; three series 

 of lateral blotches ; brownish-white beneath ; twenty- 

 nine dorsal rows. An exceedingly shy snake, fre- 

 quenting sandy pine forests near the coast, and disap- 

 pearing in a hole in the ground upon being 

 surprised. Common south of the Ohio 

 River, and found from New J ersey to 

 South Carolina and Michigan (Gibbs). 



The black snake, or 

 racer (Bascanium con- 

 strictor). Length, forty- 

 eight to eighty inches ; 

 lustrous black above, greenish 

 or slaty-black beneath ; chin 



and throat dull white ; seven- Black snake, racer, 



48 inches. 



teen dorsal rows. An ugly 



customer when angered, but a harmless and cowardly 

 one ; remarkable for the speed with which it " covers 

 the ground," and hence called "the racer." He 

 frequents wild ground where there is water, climbs 



