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THE AMERICAN NA TURALIST. [Vol. XXXV 1 1 . 



upon the bank, on logs in or beside the water, upon the branches 

 of bushes overhanging the water, or upon piles of brush through 

 the open spaces of which they can drop quietly down into the 

 water below. Such piles of brush are their favorite spots, and 

 one often sees three or more snakes coiled up together on the 

 same pile. When so resting they seem rather stupid and may 

 be closely approached and killed with a stick; but I think this 

 is due, not to stupidity, but to reliance upon their protective 

 coloration, for when once convinced that they are observed 

 they will glide into the water without delay. That the colora- 

 tion of both forms is protective is perfectly obvious to any one 

 who has observed them in their natural haunts. The resem- 

 blance to an old stick, when they are lying motionless in the 

 water or on brush piles, is so great that it is often very difficult 

 for an unpracticed eye to detect them. They apparently fre- 

 quent the same spot day after day, for weeks at least, if not 

 too seriously disturbed. They seem to become more wary with 

 experience ; a fine large specimen of erythrogaster tempted me 

 no less than six times to a certain spot, but each time he was 

 more wary, and I failed in all my attempts to capture him. In 

 no case were sipedon and erythrogaster found on the same pile of 

 brush, and specimens of the two forms were never seen together 

 or even near each other, although males of erythrogaster 

 were on several occasions found mating with females of the 

 same form, and male sipedons with females of their own race. 



The local distribution of erythrogaster is peculiar. While 

 sipedon is found about every pond or stream near Olivet, 

 erythrogaster seems to be confined to a tract of low land, lying 

 to the east of the village and bordering a creek which connects 

 Pine Lake with the Olivet mill pond. This area is about a 

 mile long and less than a quarter of a mile wide, but I know 

 of no specimens of erythrogaster having been taken elsewhere. 

 An advertisement was inserted in the local paper, offering a 

 good price for red-bellied black snakes, and thirteen were 

 brought to me in response, but every one was taken within the 

 area designated. The common sipedon also occurs in that 

 area but is not very frequent. It is difficult to account for 

 this peculiar localization of erythrogaster, as I cannot see that 



