REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR AND STATE GEOLOGIST 1902 rl39 



their heads and vibrating their tails angrily; but the others im- 

 mediately slid into the water and disappeared. I had no stick 

 at the time; there were only small willow bushes near, and no 

 rocks. I leaned over, and shook the nearest bush violently, and 

 the three snakes immediately slid into the water and beat a hasty 

 retreat across the stream, leaving in the muddy bank an im- 

 pression similar to ripple-marks on a beach. 



PILOT SNAKES 



Coluber obsoletus (Say) 

 Pilot snake 



This is also a " black " snake and is often confused with the 

 true black snake. It is however a larger species and is not so 

 bold or venturesome. But it is a very swift and beautiful 

 creature, generally more robust than the last. 



The pilot snake often climbs trees " by following the depres- 

 sions in the rough bark," as Jordan says. This snake is occa- 

 sionally seen in trees, or on fallen logs, over the Hackensack 

 river and smaller streams in Rockland county. 



The pilot is the only member of the beautiful genus Coluber 

 found in the county, with the possible exception of the fox snake, 

 C. vulpinus, which undoubtedly occurs in New Jersey 1 a few 

 miles to the southward. C. vnlpinus is not included in the list 

 however, as no specimens could be identified with that species. 



PINE SNAKES 



Pityophis melanoleucus (Daudin) 

 Common bull snake 



But one specimen of this brilliant patterned snake was seen 

 in Rockland county and this specimen was, moreover, dead, and 

 half eaten up by ants, though the skin was whole. It was found 

 on Tallman's mountain, near Nyack. These snakes are common 

 in the more southern states of Delaware and Maryland, where 

 they grow very large. One specimen obtained from New Jersey 

 measured over 6 feet. 



It has been already mentioned in the introductory remarks, 

 that the occurrence of the pine snake in Rockland county is pos- 



i N. J. Geol. Sur. 1889. Zoology, p. 646. 



