150 G. F. Eaton — Prehistoric Fauna of Block Island. 



Distribution of the Fauna. 



With the exception of the Great Auk and the Gray Seal, 

 the vertebrate animals whose remains have been found in the 

 shell-heaps were probably of common occurrence along the 

 southern New England coast at the time of the coming of the 

 English. Many of the species of birds now pass in their 

 annual migrations to and from their breeding-places in the 

 north, and a few are known to breed in this part of the 

 country. That great numbers of edible sea-fowl should have 

 been taken by the Indians is nowise remarkable, for the fresh- 

 water and brackish ponds scattered over the Island must have 

 been attractive feeding-places for these birds. The reptiles 

 and fishes are all to be found in this latitude as well as in other 

 localities farther north and south ; and there is little indication 

 that the shell-heaps date back to a remote period when a 

 colder climate prevailed. The finding of many individuals of 

 the species of Harp Seal and Gray Seal might be considered 

 evidence of a sea-temperature lower than that of the present 

 time, but such an inference can hardly be drawn from the 

 discovery of the remains of only three Harp Seals and one 

 Gray Seal. 



During the time spent in exploring the shell-heaps, the 

 writer's attention was attracted by the batrachians and reptiles 

 which are now plentiful on the Island. Two species of tor- 

 toises were found, Chrysemys picta and Cheldra serpentina / 

 and also two species of snakes, which were probably Basca- 

 nium constrictor and Eutaenia sirtalis. Capt. Uriah B. Dodge, 

 the Harbor Master of Block Island, has taken a kindly interest 

 in the present investigation. In reply to a letter asking what 

 species of reptiles he had observed on the Island, he writes : 

 " As to snakes, there are a few garter snakes and water snakes. 

 One or two black snakes have been seen. 



" There are plenty of pond turtles — green ones, and some 

 big snapping turtles. Very large sea turtles are caught occa- 

 sionally." 



It is possible that the pond turtles may have been brought 

 to the Island and there liberated, or that they may have been 

 driven across from the mainland by heavy northerly gales. 

 But in the case of the snakes, now represented on the Island 

 by at least three species, the probabilities are decidedly against 

 the theory of artificial introduction either by the white settlers 

 or by the Indians. Although Capt. Dodge does not mention 

 the common box tortoise in his letter and the writer has not 

 seen it alive on the Island, yet abundant remains of this species 

 were obtained from two shell-heaps. As it is probable that 

 the tortoises now found on the Island are of the same stock as 

 those taken by the Indians, any theory that explains the occur- 



