t 
744 The American Naturalist. [September, 
under rocks and in and around old logs and stumps. We 
have examined specimens from Cass and Nemaha counties. 
We have not often been able to determine the contents of 
their stomachs but their food seems to be, principally, small 
larve, insects and their eggs, ete. 
All our specimens possess seventeen rows of dorsal scales 
and Prof. Cragin reports the same for Kansas specimens.’ 
It would seem that Kansas and Nebraska specimens are 
peculiar in this respect. 
6. LIOPELTIS VERNALIS DeKay. 
We have examined only ten specimens of this species, all of 
which were collected in Cuming county by Mr. Lawrence 
Bruner and are now in the collections of the State University 
and the State Normal. Dr. Yarrow mentions one specimen 
taken at “Sand Hill” Nebraska.’ This species is probably not 
rare but is greatly protected by its color. 
We can say nothing as to their food habits further than 
that they are probably insectivorous and vermivorous. 
7. BASCANIUM CONSTRICTOR Linn. 
The Blue Racer is our most active and agile serpent; is 
very abundant and is said to destroy Rattlesnakes. It has the 
same habit of climbing in bushes common to the Black Racer 
of the Eastern States. This act it performs seemingly for the 
purpose of basking, and also, probably, for hunting prey. We 
have never observed this snake in trees of any size, but have 
often seen it in bushes and underbrush. It seems to climb by 
extending its form ina skillful manner over a number of 
small branches in such away that its weight is distributed, 
thus enabling it to crawl over the smallest bushes such as the 
hazel. 
This serpent is, also, our most daring species and is com- 
monly believed to chase persons. This it probably does 
5A Preliminary Catalogue of Kansas fe get and Batrachians by F. W. Cragin. 
Trans. Kan. Acad. Sci., 1879-80; Vol. VII., p, 120. 
All references to localities as given pi Dr. Yarrow refer to his Check List, 1882. 
Hi 
