1188 



REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1898. 



Crotalus horridva Linnwua. 



Catalogue 

 No. 



8372 



248 

 4621 



4394 

 249 

 276 



1292 

 244 



9320 



9973 



1299 



273 

 14755 

 14840 

 17959 



19970 



20651-2 

 20955 



22275 



22675 

 22728 



Number 

 of speci- 

 mens. 



Locality. 



1 "Wilmington, North Caro- 

 lina. 



1 St. SimonsIsland,Georgia. 

 1 ! Kansas 



Arkansas 



Iowa 



Brazos River, Texas 



Carlisle, Pennsylvania — 



"West "V^irginia 



"Wilmington, North Caro- 

 lina. 

 Katonah, New York 



Prairie Mer Rouge, Louis- 

 iana. 



San Boia, Chocta^v 



Hillsboro, Virginia 



Deer Park, Maryland 



Lauglilenstown" Pennsyl- 

 vania. 



Rappahannock County, 

 "Virginia. 



Portland, Connecticut 



Greensboro, Hale County, 

 Alabama. 



Lycoming County, Penn- 

 sylvania. 



.....do 



"When 

 collected. 



From whom received. 



-, 1858 



Aug. 26, 1878 



Dr. A. Renss 



J.P.Fox 



Capt. J. H. Simpson, 

 U. S. A. 



Colonel Kearney 



B.F.Odell 



Dr. B. F. Shumard 



Prof. S. F. Baird 



Dr.P.R.Hoy 



J.D.Miller. 

 J. Fairie 



G. "W. Shutt . 

 Chas. Hobbs. 

 O. P. Hay . . . 



Albert E. McConnell . . 



Jno. H. Sage 



Dr. W.C. Avery. 



Nat. Zool. Park. 



-do. 

 -do. 



Nature of 

 specimen. 



Alcoholic. 



do. 



do. 



do. 

 do. 

 do. 

 do. 

 do. 

 do. 



Alcohol i( 



cast. 

 Alcoholic. 



do. 

 do. 

 do. 

 do. 



do. 



do. 

 do. 



do. 



do. 

 do. 



Prof. O. P. Hay ^ gives the following account of the habits of (Jrotalus 

 Iwrridus: 



In its free state this species appears to inhabit wooded districts, although it may 

 probably sometimes be found on the prairies. It especially delights in taking up its 

 abode where there are rocks and dobris, amoug wliicli it can find at short notice a 

 safe retreat. Its movements of locomotion are rather slow. When surprised, it will 

 often seek to escape without intlictiug injury on its enemy. When, however, it is 

 pressed, or there is no time for retreat, it delivers a blow with such rapidity that the 

 motion can hardly be followed. 



Rattlesnakes do not appear to try to injure one another by biting. Indeed, Dr. 

 Mitchell states that the poi.son does not aifect the snakes themselves. He says that 

 he has over and over injected under the skin of a rattlesnake its own venom or that 

 of a moccasin, or of another rattlesnake, but he had in no ca.se seen a death. He 

 often kept from ten to thirty-five rattlesnakes together withovit any of them harm- 

 ing the others. If a large snake were suddenly dropped on the others they would 

 show no resentment, whereas if any other animal were thus dropped on them it 

 would immediately get a blow. In captivity they are extremely sluggish, not mov- 

 ing, and for long periods refusing to accept food. Usually, after about a year with- 

 out food, they will kill and eat animals. Dr. Mitchell fed his nnmerous specimens 

 by putting a long funnel down their throats and pushing the food into their stomachs. 

 They were very fond of water, and would drink large (jnantities of it and lie in it 

 for hours. 



They shed their skins at different times. If they did not have water, the skin 

 would come off in patches. He says nothing about the relation of the shedding of 

 the skin and the accjiiisition of new segments of the rattle. It has been noted by 

 observers that a variable number of segments of the rattle is acquired each year, 

 although tlie popular idea is that one is the number. As high as four have been 

 observed to be added in a single year. The terminal segments, too, are constantly 



1 The Batrachians and Reptiles of Indiana. Indianapolis, 1893, p. 129. 



