POISONOUS SNAKES OF NORTH AMERICA. 401 



Si/Hcqjsiti of ihe CrotaUd (jtnera inhahitinif Xoith America uorili of Mexico. 



rt' Tail Avitiiout rattle, euiling iu a point Agkistkodon. 



a- Tail provided with a rattle. 



b^ Top of bead covered by regular shields ^ Sistrurus. 



&2 Top of head covered by nintierous scales Crotalus. 



Genus AGKISTRODON/ Beauvois. 

 The Moccasins. 



1799. — Jgkisfrodoi), Beauvoi.^^,, Trans. Am. Pliilos. Soc, iv, p. 381 (Type -/. 



mokasen Beauv.). 

 1802. — Scyiale. Latreille, Hist. Nat. Rept., iir, p. 158 (same type). 

 1803. — Ceuchris, Daudin, Hist. Nat. Kept., v (p. 358) (same type; not of Beauv., 



1799). 

 1819. — Scyfaliis, Rafixksque, Sillim. Journ., i, p. 84 (emend.). 

 1826. — Tisiphone, Fitzixger, N. Class. Rept., pp. 34, 63 (type T. cuprea Fitz.). 

 1836. — Acontias, Troost, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., iii, p. 176 (type A. leitcostoma). 

 lSS6.—Toxicophis, Troost, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., in, p. 190 (same type). 

 1854. — Ancistrodoi}, Baird, Serp. N. Y., p. 13 (emend.). 



Si/iiopsis of ihe species of A<jlistrodoii occurrinfj in Ihe Uuited States. 



a'. A loreal; orbit separated from supralabials by scales; usually 23 scale-rows. 



A. contortrix. 

 a-. No loreal ; su])ralabials entering orbit ; 25 scale- rows A. piscivorus. 



The Copi'ERHead. 



Agkisfrodon contortrix. i (Linu;eus.). 



Plate 3. 



1766. — Boa contortrix Linn.eus, Syst. Nat., 12 ed., r, p. 373. — Scyiale contortrix, 

 Latreille, Hist. Nat. Rept., in, p. 159 (1802). — Cenchris contortrix, 

 Gray, Ann. Philos., 1825, ji. — . — Gray, Cat. Snakes Br. Mus., p. 16 

 (1849). — Gray, Zool. Miscell., p. 50 (1842). — TriijonocephaJus contortrix, 

 HoLBROOK, N. Am. Herpet, led., ii, p. 69 (1838).— Holbrook, N. Am, 

 Hcrpet, 2 ed., iii, p. 39 (1842).— KiiiTLAXD, in Mathers Sec. Rep. 

 Geol. Surv., Ohio, 1838, p. 167.— De Kay, Zool. N. Y., iii, p. 53 (1842).— 

 Le Conte, South. Med. Surg. Journ., ix, 1853, pp. 651, 665. — Dumeril et 

 BiRROX, Erpet. Gen^r., vii, ii, p. 1494 (1854). — Hallowell, in Sitgreave's 

 Exp. Zuni Colo. Riv., p. 147 (1854). — Hallowell, Proc. Phila. Acad., 

 1856 (p. 249).— Jan, Rev., Mag. Zool., 1859, Extr. p. 29.— Jax, Eleuc. 

 Sist. Ofid., p. 125 (1863). — Ae/kistrodon contortrix, Baiijd and Girard, N. 

 Am. Serp., p. 17 (1853).— Jordan, Man. Vertebr. North. U. S.. 5 ed., p. 

 199 (1888).— Hay, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xv, 1892, p. 386.— Hay, Batr. 

 Rept. Indiana, p. 123 (1893).— Hfrter, Trans. St. Louis Acad. Sc. vi, 

 p. 258 (1893).— H. Garmax, Bull. Essex lust., xxvi, 1894, p. 36.— .Ixcis- 

 trodon contortrix, Baird, Serp. N. Y., p, 13 (1854).— Baird, Mex. Bound. 

 Surv., II, Rept., p. 15 (1859).— Cope, Proc. Phila. Acad., 1859, p. 336.— 

 Cope, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 1, p. 34 (1875).— Cope, Bull. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., No. 17, p. 24 (1880).— Cope, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xiv, 1891, p. 

 683 (1892).— Allen, Proc. Boston See. Nat. Hiet., xii, 1868, pp. 11, 35.— 

 CouES, Proc. Phila. Acad., 1871, p. 48.— Cragin, Trans. Kansas Acad. 



*From the Greek a^Ktarfwi' (agkistron), a hook; oduf (odon), a tooth. 

 t From the Latin contortrix, one who twists. 

 H. Mis. 184, pt. 2 26 



