
ON THE COLOR VARIATIONS OF THE COMMON 
GARTER SNAKE. 
EDWIN C. ECKEL. 
I. EUTJENIA SIRTALIS IN THE ADIRONDACK REGION OF 
New YORK. 
IN an earlier paper! I have noted that Cope's treatment of 
the color forms of Eutenia sirtalis, at least so far as the sub- 
species occurring in the northeastern United States are con- 
cerned, can hardly be regarded as satisfactory. My acquaintance 
with the extreme western and southern forms of the species is 
entirely too limited to permit the expression of an opinion on 
the closeness with which his subspecific grouping, in those 
areas, approximates to the facts; but it seems probable that 
the same conditions prevail there as here. 
In a catalogue? (now in press) of the reptiles and batrachians 
of New York, prepared by Dr. F. C. Paulmier and myself at 
the request of Dr. F. J. H. Merrill, director of the New York 
State Museum, no revision of Cope's grouping was attempted. 
All.the subspecies described from this state by Cope and 
G. M. Allen were included, as it seemed undesirable, in a paper 
designed for popular use, either to omit these forms without 
presenting reasons for such action, or to discuss these reasons 
in the necessary detail. ; 
For this reason the results of the collection work which has 
been accomplished during the past year, in critical localities, 
are presented in this paper. 
My thanks are due to Dr. F. C. Paulmier, who has kindly 
placed the resources of the zoólogical department of the State 
Museum at my disposal, and to Mr. Raymond L. Ditmars, who 
1 Snakes of New York, Amer. Nat., February, 1901 
? Paulmier, F. C., and Eckel, E. C. Catalogue of the Reptiles and Batrachians 
of New York, Bulletin New York State Museum. 
481 
