64 PROCEEDINGS : BOSTON SOCIETY NATURAL HISTORY. 
projecting rocks or logs in the water. At such times it is shy and 
will slip off and disappear in the mud, while the intruder is yet a 
considerable distance away. It is amusing to watch it in its 
endeavors to scramble upon a floating board. It experiences but 
little difficulty in getting its fore feet upon the board, but there 
the struggle begins. liaising itself to the height of its fore limbs, 
with its neck stretched out forward as far as possible, it makes 
frantic endeavors to get its hind feet upon the plank. After - 
falling back into the water several times, it finally succeeds in 
gaining a hold with its hind claws, and so pushes itself forward 
upon the plank. In all the specimens I have examined from 
Intervale, the dorsal plates are arranged in transverse rows of 
threes as in typical specimens, but it is of interest to note that 
in a few specimens from eastern Massachusetts, I have seen these 
scales alternating as in the western species, C. mctrginata , though in 
other respects these specimens were typical of C. picta. In a speci- 
men taken at Intervale, late in August, 1898, the plates were in 
process of peeling off. Most of them had one or two corners loose 
and came off easily, when given a slight pull. 
2. Thamnophis saurita (Linn.). Ribbon Snake. 
On the intervale by the river, I saw what I am very positive was 
a specimen of this snake, but it was so agile that it succeeded in 
making its escape through the long grass. 
3. Thamnophis sietalis pallidula subsp. nov. Northern 
Garter Snake. 
Type locality. Intervale, New Hampshire. 
Geographic distribution. From the White Mts. of N. H. and 
the Adirondacks of N. Y. northward into New Brunswick and 
Nova Scotia, and possibly farther. 
General characters. Ground color above, olive to olive-brown ; 
dorsal stripe, except at its inception, almost obsolete ; the interlinear 
spots of reddish scales with narrow black edgings and black inter¬ 
spaces. Belly, in young specimens grayish white, in adults from 
grayish white to light yellowish. 
Description. Body rather slender, head wider than neck. 
Frontal large and roughly hexagonal. Two nasals, the nostril 
between. One loreal. Lrsually three small post-orbitals and one 
large ante-orbital. Supra-labials seven ; the fifth and sixth largest. 
Infra-labials ten; the fifth and sixth largest. Dorsal scales cari- 
nated and arranged in nineteen rows. Anal plate entire. Gastro- 
