POISONOUS SNAKES OF NORTH AMERICA. 435 



The top of Lead is liglitbrowu, with occasional black scales, A ckill 

 yellowish streak starts at the posterior edge of the superciliary plate, 

 and passing obliquely backward, through two rows of scales, extends 

 to angle of the mouth (fig. 58). A second band starts on the plate in 

 advance of the superciliary, and crossing the anterior orbitals, expands 

 till it involves the seventh, eighth, and ninth nipper labials. Interval 

 between the first two stripes dark brown. There are also indications 

 of a second vertical light bar in front of the nostril, and two below the 

 pit. Eostral dark yellowish, lighter in the margin. 



Number of ventrals (gastrosteges), 1G9; of subcaudals (urosteges), 

 32; scale rows across body, 27. 



Variation. — With the exception of the nsual variation of the ground 

 color through the various tinges of grayish and brownish, the color 

 and pattern of this species is unusually constant. The characteristic 

 whitish stri^jes on rostral, nasals, and on the sides of the head are 

 well marked, even in the largest sj)ecimeus, and the dorsal i^attern is 

 also nearly always very distinct. 



Geograi)hical distribution. — The diamond rattler inhabits a compara- 

 tively small area in the southeastern corner of our country. Florida 

 seems to be the center of its distribution, and from that State it extends 

 along the coast northward into the southern portion of North Carolina 

 at about the thirty-fifth parallel, Mr. H. H. Brindey having in letter 

 advised me of a specimen, presumably of this species, having been 

 taken in 1885 at the Neuse Eiver, across fiom New Berne. Along the 

 gulf coast it extends at least as far west as the Mississippi Eiver, being 

 still found not far from New Orleans, as Dr. Gustave Kohn informs me, 

 although very scarce. It also ascends the Mississippi Eiver some dis- 

 tance, exactly how far I do not know, but a specimen is in the National 

 Museum (No. 4393) which is said to have been collected by Col. Kear- 

 ney in Arkansas. 



In Florida the species is found everywhere, including the Keys. 



Habits. — The Diamond Eattler, or Diamond-backed Eattlesnake, is 

 usually called the Water Eattler in localities where the Banded Eattle- 

 snake also occurs in order to distinguish it from the latter, which is 

 then known as the Timber-Eattler. As the name indicates, this species 

 is rather partial to the neighborhood of water, although it is not a 

 water snake to the extent of pursuing its prey into the water. Yet it 

 is said to be a good swimmer and not even afraid to cross over from 

 Key to Key {Loennhcrg, I. c). 



Although rather common, and i^robably the Eattlesnake most fre- 

 quently seen in captivity, at least in this country, but little detailed and 

 reliable information concerning its habits can be found in the litera- 

 ture. The observers who have had anything to say about it are 

 often much at variance. Some regard it as very slow and clumsy, others 

 again insist that it is much more active than the Banded Eattlesnake 

 and much fiercer. Some report their inability to induce this species 



