FAMILY CROTALID^E. 57 



wound. In an instance of a very large rattlesnake from Florida (the C. adamanteus), which 

 was irritated, he struck violently against the iron wire on the side of the cage, and ejected 

 the venom to the distance of three feet. The absurd notion of fascination is entertained by 

 few at the present day : it is alluded to under the article Copper-head. 



The Rattlesnake is common in various parts of the State, and in the northern States gene- 

 rally appears to prefer rocky situations. They abound in Clinton, Essex and Warren coun- 

 ties, along the shores of Lakes Champlain and George. Some idea may be formed of their 

 numbers in certain districts in this State, by the following extract from the Clarion news- 

 paper published in Warren county : " Two men, in three days, killed eleven hundred and four 

 " rattlesnakes on the east side of Tongue mountain in the town of Bolton. Some of the rep- 

 " tiles were very large, carrying from fifteen to twenty rattles. They were killed for their 

 " oil, or grease, which is said to be very valuable." 



Although numerous in the rocky mountainous districts of this State, they are rare or 

 entirely wanting in those elevated regions which give rise to the Moose, the Raquet and the 

 Hudson rivers. They are found in the counties of Sullivan, Ulster, Orange and Greene. A 

 few still linger in the swamps of Suffolk county. 



It is a popular belief that hogs are particularly destructive to these reptiles. This may be 

 true to a certain extent ; but neither their bristly hide, nor their thick teguments, afford them 

 perfect immunity from the stroke of this serpent. I was informed by a respectable farmer in 

 Dutchess county, that he lost three hogs in one season by the poison either of the copper- 

 head or rattlesnake. The more probable explanation is, that the rattlesnake gradually dis- 

 appears, and is finally extirpated, before the progress of cultivation. 



The C. horridus, which frequently appears in the list of our reptiles, is not found in North 

 America. 



(EXTRA-LIMITAL.) 



C. adamanteus. (Holbrook, Herpet. Vol. 2, pi. 16; and Vol. 3, pi. 2, Ed. 2da.) Very large. 



Dusky brown, with rhomboidal dark spots margined with grey. Length six to eight feet. Caro- 

 lina, Florida. 

 C. oregonus. (Id. Vol. 3, pi. 3.) A broad white bar between the orbits, and two others on each side 



of the head. Back with two white zigzag lines. Abdominal plates, 177 ; subcaudal, 22. Oregon. 

 Genus Crotalophorus, Gray. Head covered with plates above. Rattles few in number, and not 



much developed. Subcaudal plates mostly entire. 

 C. miliarius. (Holbrook, Vol. 2, pi. 15; and Vol. 3, pi. 4, Ed. 2da.) Small. Grey, with a dorsal 



yellowish stripe, on which is a series of large black spots margined with yellowish white. Length 



12—14 inches. Carolina, Michigan. Louisiana. 

 C. tergeminus. (Id. Vol. 3, pi. 5, Ed. 2da.) Ash brown, with a triple row of brown spots bordered 



with lighter. Sides spotted with alternate fuscous series. Length two feet. Allied to miliarius. 



Western Territories. 

 C. kirtlandi. (Id. Vol. 3, pi. 6.) Massasagua. Black, varied slightly with brown. A series of 



light brown rings on the back, and vertical lines on the flanks. Abdominal plates, 152; caudal, 



27, bifid 2. Length 27 inches. Michigan. 



Fauna — Part 3. 8 



