115 



spreading adder. These young were each from 6 to S inches in length, and 

 all were active and blowing vigorously. Neither did the author of this 

 note see the escape of the snakes, although he did see sixty- three of the 

 young in alcohol. There may easily have been an error in the determina- 

 tion of the species to which these young snakes belonged. One who has 

 examined the eggs of this species can not easily believe that so many 

 young snakes could, with such readiness, escape from a wound in the 

 mother's side. Moreover, these snakes deposit their eggs in the earth some 

 time before the young are ready to lead an independent existence. 



Dr. Bumpus {op. cit., p. 364) states that a female Ileterodon in the National 

 Museum brought forth one hundred and eleven young; but Dr. Bumpus 

 kindly informs me that he did not himself observe this. 



Prof. F. ^y. Cragin reports * the finding, on September 10, of twenty-two 

 eggs of this species. They were buried in the sand at East Hampton, Long 

 Island. Two of the eggs, which he had in his possession, hatched four 

 days afterwards. Troost appears to have dissected a black specimen, in 

 which he found twenty-five eggs. Dr. C. C. Abbott sayst that he has fre- 

 quently in May found the eggs of the hog-nosed snake in considerable 

 numbers, a few inches below the surface of the ground ; and in early July 

 he once found a family of 17 very small, and apparently just hatched, 

 young. These resented all interference, snapped, hissed, and flattened 

 their heads precisely as an older snake would do. The size of the young 

 is not given, but in another place {op. cit. p. p^ 295) he impliefe that they 

 were less than 4 inches in length. I think that this species, like most 

 other species, produce their young rather later in the season ; but I see no 

 reason for not believing that some individuals may bear their eggs over the 

 winter and lay them in the spring. 



A female (U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 17951), sent me from Veedersburg, Foun- 

 tain county, Ind , contained fifteen eggs, the posterior four of which lay in 

 the left oviduct. I could discover no signs of embryos. Each egg was cov- 

 ered by a thick, tough, yellowish coat, inside of which was a thinner and 

 more delicate membrane.- 



Through the kindness of Dr. L. Stejneger, curator of the department of 

 reptiles in the National Museum, I have been enabled to make some obser- 

 vations on the eggs and living young of this Heterodon. On the 3 1st day of 

 last August, there were brought into the laboratory of the Department, from 



-Amer. Nat., Vol. XIII, p. 710. 

 t-Rambles, etc., p. JSii. 



