S'l^rOYING BUDS AND TWIGS 



329 



THE COPPERHEAD SNAKE (ANCISTRODON CONTORTRIX). 



Habitat: eastern United States. 



This ]ihotograpli and tlie one on the previous page are by Elwin R. Sanborn, New York Zoological Society. 



are innocuous when freed for the solu- 

 ble consituents of the venom. No color 

 is peculiar to any definite species. One 

 specimen will furnish deep colored ven- 

 om, another pale colored. Venom dries 

 quickly and retains its poisonous prop- 

 erties in unaltered strength. 



It is harmless when swallowed. The 

 cause of death in acute poisoning of 

 warm-blooded animals is the cessa- 

 tion of respiration from paralysis of 

 the nerve centers. The heart is en- 

 feebled but not paralyzed. In chronic 

 or secondary poisoning, the rapid de- 

 composition of the blood and of the 

 tissues locally acted upon leaves no 

 doubt that serpent venom is a septic 

 or putrefacient poison. From two to 

 four drops are usually discharged at 

 one bite. 



The bite of piscivorus is more dan- 

 gerous to other venomous snakes than 

 to itself ; it is fierce toward other 

 snakes ; its length averages from four 

 to five feet. Contortrix is more slen- 

 der, about three feet in length, and 

 like all Crotaline snakes produces liv- 

 ing young from seven to nine in num- 

 ber. The bite of a pit viper will send 

 a rat, rabbit or any other small mammal 

 immediately into convulsions and 

 cause death in a minute. A king snake 

 will kill a copperhead, moccasin or 

 rattlesnake within five minutes by 

 constriction and show^ no ill effects 

 from the poison. Elaps, though killed, 

 will cause the king snake to appear 

 sleepy for a few hours. A snake is not 

 poisoned by its own venom, and its 



fangs which it sheds periodically, us- 

 ually in its food, are the only things 

 which the stomach juices cannot di- 

 gest. The feathers, teeth and claws 

 of the prey are all digested. 



Studying Buds and Twigs. 



BY HERBERT W. FAULKNER, WASHINGTON, 

 CONNECTICUT. 



Sometimes when a warm day comes 

 in late winter we hear from casual ob- 

 servers the news that "The buds are 

 forming and spring is near !" As an 

 actual fact, the buds were formed last 

 autumn, and have all along been visible 

 but unobserved. 



We must not take a long vacation 

 from our nature study because it is win- 

 ter. Many things are now easier to 

 find. The trees have gone to sleep,, 

 their leaves are wrapped in warm 

 "sleeping bags" or buds distinctly rec^ 

 ognizable one from another. 



For several reasons we want to know 

 our friends, the trees and shrubs, irk 

 winter. 



We may want to feel certain of them 

 and leave others for the good of our 

 forest. This is true forestry. 



We may need certain kinds of wood 

 for our bows, canoes, traps or for other 

 purposes. 



We may plan to start a maple sugar 

 refinery, and must know the sugar ma- 

 ples from other maples. 



Again, we may desire to transplant 

 young trees or choice flowering shrubs 

 from the wilderness to our own home 



