OUR ANCIENT ENEMY THE OPHIDIAN. 77 



food, insects, etc. Yery abundant everywhere on 

 meadows and grassy ground, and associated with 

 Storeria dekayi. Maine to Florida and Texas. 



Kirtland's snake (CZowo^Ais hirtlcmdi ; Tropido- 

 clonium hirtlandi of other authors). Length, six- 

 teen inches ; a beauty ; light, ruddy brown above, 

 with three alternating series of round 

 black spots, the central ones of which are 

 indistinct and the smallest ; reddish or 

 perhaps yellowish beneath, with a row 

 of small black spots on either side ; nine- 

 teen dorsal rows ; body stout. It will 

 flatten its body and remain motionless to 

 escape detection. A Western snake. 

 Ohio to Illinois. 



The water snake or water adder 

 (Nai/ruc fasciata sipedon ; Nerodia 

 sipedon of other authors). Length, 

 forty-eight inches ; dull bronze 

 brown above, redder on the 

 sides ; transverse light irregu- 

 lar bands margined with black ; 



yellowish to reddish beneath ; water snake, 48 inches. 



twenty-three dorsal rows ; head 



narrow and long ; strongly carinated scales. This 

 snake frequents marshes, overflowed meadows, and 

 the shores of streams and ponds, climbs among the 



