312 Kansas Academy of Science. 



THE POISON- GLANDS OF A RATTLESNAKE DURING 

 THE PERIOD OF HIBERNATION. 



By L. L. Dyche, University of Kansas, Lawrence. 



TN 1905 and 1906 the writer spent about two months near Wa 

 -*- Keeney, Trego county, Kansas, collecting birds and mammals. 

 He made his headquarters on Dr. A. B. Jones's ranch with Mr. 

 Chas. Steinberger, who at that time lived on the ranch. 



While riding over the high prairies about five miles south of 

 Wa Keeney one afternoon late in October, 1906, the writer and 

 Mr. Steinberger came upon two (presumably a pair) rattlesnakes. 

 They were sunning themselves near the mouth of a prairie-dog 

 hole. It was quite a surprise to see the snakes, as the weather 

 only a few days before had been quite cold, with heavy frosts and 

 some snow and ice. The weather, however, had moderated, and 

 with the wind in the southwest and the sun shining it was quite 

 warm on that particular afternoon. 



I had always supposed, without thinking much about it in par- 

 ticular, that when snakes had once been driven to their winter 

 quarters by cold weather they remained in their hibernating dens 

 until the warm air of spring-time induced them to come forth. I 

 learned, however, from ranchmen who lived in the neighborhood, 

 that this particular species of snake, CrotaUis conflaentus, was 

 sometimes seen basking in the sun near holes in prairie-dog towns 

 as late as the middle of November and as early as the middle of 

 March. 



At the sight of one of the snakes, which was coiled about four 

 feet from his den, my friend, Mr. Steinberger, grabbed a shotgun 

 and jumped to the ground. The snake made a quick dash for its 

 den and received a load of shot that blew it into the prairie-dog 

 hole. This commotion disturbed the other snake that was coiied 

 about six feet from the hole. It made a quick rush for the hole, 

 almost crawling over Mr. Steinberger's feet. He got a quick back- 

 ward movement on himself when he saw the snake at his feet, but 

 managed, in the moment of excitement, to give the snake a load of 

 shot, at a distance of a few feet, that blew it away from the edge of 

 the hole. 



This snake was three feet long and its body was almost severed 

 about eight inches from its head. After looking down a hole that 



