CROTALUS . — Linnseiis. 



Genus Crotalus. — Characters. Head very large, triangular, rounded in front 

 and covered above, with small plates in front and with scales on the vertex and 

 occiput; a deep pit between the eye and nostril; upper jaw armed with a movable 

 fang on each side; body thick, robust; tail short, thick, and terminating in rattles, 

 which are corneous productions of the epidermis; belly and under surface of tail 

 covered with plates. 



CROTALUS DURISSUS.— imn«w5. 



Plate I. 



Characters, Head large, flattened above, triangular, rounded anteriorly, 

 covered with plates only m front, and with minute scales on the vertex and 

 occiput. There is a deep pit between the nostril and eye; upper jaw armed with 

 poisonous fangs; body elongated and robust, above ash colour, with irregular 

 transverse dusky bars, confluent near the tail, vertebral line yellow, flanks tinged 

 with same colour; tail short, thick, and furnished with rattles. PI. 177, Sc. 25. 



SrxoxTMES. Crotalus durissus, Kalm, Act. Stockh., ami. 1752, p. 310; 1773, pp. 52, 185. 

 Rattlesnake, Catesby, Carolina, &c., vol. ii. pi. Ixi. 

 Crotalus durissus, Linnseus, Syst. Nat. Lin., vol. i. p. 372. 

 Crotalus durissus, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. Lin., vol. i. part iii. p. 1081. 

 Le durissus, Laceptde, Hist, des Serp., torn. ii. p. 423. 

 Crotalus durissus, Latrdlle, Hist. Nat. Rept., torn. iii. p. 190. 

 Crotalus atricaudatus, Lalreille, Hist. Nat. Rept, torn. iii. p. 209. 

 Crotalus durissus, Daudui, Hist. Nat. des Rept., torn. v. p. 304, pi. Ixviii. 

 Vol. hi.— 2 



