No. 410.] THE SNAKES OF NEW YORK STATE. 153 
northern range of the subspecies, so far as any other records go, the 
label may be considered as in error. 
=> 
lan] 
. Ophibolus getulus getulus (Linn.). 
Baird (* Serpents of New York," 1854) states that “ the chain snake 
is quite maritime in its northern distribution, being rarely found in the 
Northern States, except near the coast.” De Kay had mentioned its 
occurrence on Long Island. In a * Catalogue of Reptiles and Fishes, 
from St. Lawrence County, procured for the State Cabinet of Natural 
History by Franklin B. Hough” (Fifth Annual Report on Condition 
of State Cabinet, Albany, 1852), I find that Dr. Hough collected 
specimens of this species from Rossie, St. Lawrence County, and that 
he quotes it as “of common occurrence in this portion of the state.” 
These specimens cannot now be found, but I am inclined to accept 
the record, as John Gebhard, then Curator of the State Cabinet, had 
too thorough a knowledge of the ophidian fauna of the state to have 
allowed an obvious error to stand in the catalogue. 
= 
N 
. Natrix fasciata sipedon (Linn.). 
Abundant in all the counties of southeastern New York. The normal 
ground color here is dark grayish to black. I have never seen indi- 
viduals of the brownish or yellow-brown color described by some 
authors, and shown by casts at several prominent museums. 
- 
WwW 
. Natrix fasciata erythrogaster (Shaw). 
Cope quotes a specimen (U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 9984) as from West- 
field Falls, Connecticut. This is far to the north and east of the 
usual range of the subspecies, and may be an error in the label. 
. Natrix leberis. 
I have never seen individuals of this species in southeastern New 
York, though much of my field work has been in localities which would 
seem to furnish a highly favorable environment. 
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+ 
I5. Storeria dekayi (Holbrook). 
This and the next species are abundant in southeastern New York, 
though both are so inconspicuous and retiring as readily to escape 
observation. As late as 1898 I have found a specimen of S. occi- 
pitomaculata on New York Island. 
16 
- Storeria occipitomaculata (Storer). i ; 
Described by De Kay as extra-limital, this species was included in 
the fauna of the state by John Gebhard, Jr. (Fourth Annual Report 
on Condition of State Cabinet, Albany, p. 23, 1851), as specimens e 
been obtained by Dr. Fitch in Washington County. Tue jm td 
than this publication B aird, in his “ Serpents of New York’ (Seventh 
Annual Report on Condition of State Cabinet, Albany, p. 124, 1554), 
“ formally introduced” the species as “an inhabitant of New York. 
