APPENDIX. 303 



plains on each side of the Columbia river ; * I also saw 

 them on the Tobacco plains, between the Kootanie 

 river and the Gralton mountains, and in the Flathead 

 valley, which is about 4,199 feet above the sea level. 

 They live on the dry sandy plains, and run so much 

 like a mouse that I have often been deceived, and 

 taken them for small mammals. They live in holes 

 generally at the roots of a wild sage (the Artemesia) 

 bush, and are perfectly harmless, although their looks 

 sadly belie them. I have frequently taken them in 

 my hand, and they neither bite or attempt to use 

 their spines for defensive purposes. I obtained another 

 species, much larger than this, on the sand plains near 

 the Klamath Lakes, that does not appear to range as 

 far north as this smaller species. Vide P. cornutum. 



OPHIDIA THE SERPENTS. 



CKOTALUS LUCIFER. (Baird and Girard.) 

 The Western Rattlesnake. 



The Eattlesnake, I believe I may safely say, is never 

 found west of the Cascade range, neither is it in any 

 great abundance north of the Columbia river ; but at 

 the Dalles, the Snake, Pelouse, and Spokan rivers, 

 indeed I may say at every station along the entire Bndy. 

 Line, and high up on the slopes of the Rocky 

 Mountains its name is legion. I have often, when 

 climbing a sunny hill-side, seen a rattlesnake coiled 

 up on nearly every ledge and flat-lying stone. Speci- 

 mens obtained at different localities vary very much 

 in colour, both in the ground colour and mark- 



* Vide Vol. II. 



