BRANSON : SNAKES OF KANSAS. 423 



labials 12-15. Gastrosteges 135-155. Urosteges 20-32. Anal 

 entire. Subcaudals undivided. 



Color above gray or brownish, occasionally black. There 

 are three series of dorsal blotches. These blotches are grayish 

 brown to blackish internally and have a narrow black margin. 

 The black is bordered externally by a narrow yellowish margin. 

 The superior spots are large and obovate in shape. The lateral 

 spots are smaller and rounded, but are of the same color as the 

 dorsal series. The belly ranges in color from yellowish to 

 black. The most frequent color marking is a yellowish ground 

 color maculated with many large black blotches. A dark 

 brown stripe with narrow black margins extends backward 

 from the eye onto the neck. A narrow yellowish streak extends 

 from the nostril backward to the angle of the mouth. The 

 anterior part of the lower jaw is black. The fifth, sixth and 

 seventh lower labials are partly yellow. A narrow yellow stripe 

 runs downward from the pit. The accompanying drawing 

 shows the color marking of the top of the head. 



By most herpetologists this species is divided into two sub- 

 species. The characters upon which this division is based are not 

 constant. Kansas is the northern limit of the southern variety 

 and the southern limit of the northern variety, but in Kansas 

 specimens there are no markings constant enough to warrant 

 the division into subspecies. It varies enough to include 

 both varieties, bat the series of variations is complete. A 

 specimen now before me agrees with catenatus in head plates 

 and the shape of the head, but has but fifty-three spots. Other 

 specimens having the head plates of ediuardsii have less than 

 forty spots, and the scales are in twenty-five rows. 



This snake is not as large as confluentus, seldom exceeding 

 thirty inches in length. Its poison is no less virulent than 

 that of the larger snake. I have known personally of several 

 persons being bitten, and the results were always serious. In 

 one case the victim, a child of five years, died. 



The Massasauga or Prairie Rattler is a truly prairie snake, 

 but it is found in largest numbers on low, sandy soil near rivers 

 and small streams. I have examined specimens from Repub- 

 lic, Cloud, Mitchell, Clay, Wabaunsee, Leavenworth, Brown, 

 Franklin, Shawnee and Lyon counties. It has been reported 

 from Montgomery, Harvey, Neosho, Greenwood, Osborne and 

 Pottawatomie counties. During one summer's collecting in 



