1890] MARYLAND ACADEMY OP SCIENCES. 89 



OBSERTATIONS OiV THE COPPERHEAD SNAKE, ANCIS- 

 TRODON CONTORTRIX. 



By HOWARD H. HOPKINS, M. D. 



Daring several years past it has been a source of interest to 

 me, amidst the duties of a profession which led me into various 

 parts of a large district of Frederick County, to gather infor- 

 mation relating to the venomous snakes of our Maryland terri- 

 tory. With an eager desire to acquire as many facts as possible 

 concerning these remarkable creatures, I have enlisted the 

 services of various friends -and acquaintances to secure speci- 

 mens of these reptiles for me, so that I might study them at 

 leisure and learn some of the exact truths which remain unre- 

 corded relative to their habits and structure. It has been my 

 good fortune to examine and note some of the peculiarities of 

 both the Rattlesnake and Copperhead, which are the only ven- 

 omous snakes belonging to our State. 



It is to the latter of these two, the Copperhead, that I wish 

 at present to direct some attention, especially as no full life- 

 history of these reptiles is as yet attainable. 



From personal observation, I am induced to believe that the 

 Anclstrodon contortrix is by no means so common as we have 

 been led to suppose from the reports of persons who live in 

 the sections of country where these creatures are known to 

 exist, and the specimens sent me as Copperheads have, with few 

 exceptions, proved to be the common hog-nose or blowing-viper, 

 Hderodon simus Linn. 



Distribution. — The Copperhead is known to be found from 

 New England to Florida between the Atlantic Ocean and the 

 Alleghany Mountains, and it is also distributed west to central 

 Kansas and south to Louisiana. I have seen specimens at 

 various places in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, 

 Virginia and North Carolina. 



Prof. P. R. Uhler informs me that the Maryland Academy 

 of Sciences has had specimens from the valley of the Potomac 

 river above the chain bridge ; also from the country adjoining 

 Martinsburg and Harper's Ferry ; likewise from the mica 



[MAY 20, 1890.] 



