1890] MARYLAND ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 91 



ravines through sand, gravel and marl beds, rich in fossils, 

 down to the underlying clay, afforded us ample opportunity 

 for tlie required investigations. The day was oppressively 

 warm, but our desire for investigation never lagged for want 

 of interesting material, which presented itself at almost every 

 step. I frequently inquired of our guide, an old colored man, 

 if Copperhead snakes were not to be found in that locality, but 

 he assured me he had never seen one, although he had lived 

 there for more than twenty years. 



We pushed our way along, single file, among the rank under- 

 growth by the river side, through an unfrequented hollow, 

 where the dense foliage shut out effectually the midday and 

 afternoon sun. The concealed character of the place, damp and 

 cool, bathed by the mists caused by the rays of the rising sun, 

 together with the cold nature of the clay soil there, evidently 

 afforded suitable conditions for the cold, clammy nature of 

 these reptiles. While moving forward at this place, our guide 

 in front placed his hand upon a decumbent log over which we 

 had to pass. I discovered within a few inches of his hand 

 three beautiful Copperheads coiled together upon the log. My 

 call to the old negro to be on his guard only had the effect of 

 arousing two of the reptiles sufficiently to cause them to slug- 

 gishly raise their heads, followed by a relapse once more to rest. 

 Their apparent sense of security, perhaps, arose from the unfi'e- 

 quented and unattractive nature of the hollow in which they 

 lived ; they showed no disposition to either attack or retreat. 



The picture thus presented was beautiful, but, our time 

 being limited, we were compelled to summarily bag them and 

 move on. All three of these snakes proved to be females. 

 From two of them we secured eight young each, and from the third 

 one twelve young ones, making in all thirty-one Copperheads 

 in a single locality where they were supposed not to exist. As 

 they are often brought down the Potomac river on driftwood 

 from points many miles above the place where we found these 

 specimens, their presence might be thus accounted for, although 

 I am inclined to believe they are to be found generally through 

 that section of country. 



Hibernation. — Upon the approach of winter, these snakes are 



