CORRESPONDENCE. 
Editor of the American Naturalist: 
Sin, — In his valuable paper on “the Snakes of New York State,” 
in the February number of the Watwra/ist, Dr. Eckel enumerates two 
forms as doubtfully occurring in the state upon the authority of 
Cope who, in his Crocodilians, Lizards, and Snakes of North America, 
records specimens as being in the collection of the National 
Museum. Dr. Eckel properly doubts the correctness of the state- 
ments, and I am in a position to corroborate him. 
The first is a specimen of Osceola doliata clerica, United States 
National Museum, No. 1407. The value of the locality * New York" 
may be inferred from the fact that the specimen was received in 
1858 from the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, together with 
No. 1405, Elaps lemniscatus, and No. 1406, Dromicus cursor, — all 
three said to have come from New York. It is simply a case of 
French geography. 
The other case is that of a Natrix fasciata erythrogaster, United 
States National Museum, No. 9984, said to have come from estfield 
Falls, Conn. In this case the geography is correct enough, büt the 
identification is wrong. I have just examined the specimen; it is a 
Natrix sipedon pure and simple! = 
Thus Dr. Eckel may safely eliminate Nos. 10 and 13 from his 
i ` 7 
check list. LEONHARD STEJNEGER. 
U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, 
February 15, 1901. 
