106 



short and broad. All the crown- shields short and broad. Mouth-cleft 

 much curved. The snout upturned. Prefrontals and postfrontals sepa- 

 rated by a number of small plates, which surround the azygos. Upper 

 labials, 8, the sixth very high, but all excluded from contact with the eye 

 by the suborbitals. Lower labials 9 to 11, small. Scales not conspicu- 

 ously keeled, disposed in 25 or 27 rows. Ventrals 117 to 150. Subor- 

 bitals 32 to 55. 



The ground color is olive or yellowish brown, with many scales par- 

 tially or wholly yellowish. The upper surface is relieved by a dorsal 

 series of brown or blackish blotches, and two lateral series on each side. 

 The sports lowest down on each side are almost obsolete. The median 

 series consists of about 35 somewhat irregular blotches, each 3 or 4 scales 

 long. Alternating with these is a series of round spots about 3 scales in 

 length. All the spots are surrounded with an edging of yellow. There 

 is a narrow black band running across the forehead, through the eyes and 

 to the corner of the mouth. The belly is yellow, with some cloudings of 

 brown. 



The length of this species is not so great as that of H. 'platirhinos, prob- 

 ably never exceeding two feet. 



Hetcrodon sinms simus is found from South Carolina to Mississippi, and 

 north to Indiana. Further west it is replaced by H. shmis nasieus, a 

 variety with a still more prominent rostrum, about 50 spots in the dor- 

 sal series, a greater number of small scales around the azygos, 23 rows of 

 scales, and more black on the belly. 



In Indiana shnvs has been taken at very few points, but it is probably 

 to be foui}d throughout at least the southern portion of the State. It has 

 been sent to the National Museum from Brookville by Dr. R. Raymond. 

 It has been stated to occur at New Harmony, but I have not seen speci- 

 mens from that place. 



I find few observations that have been made on the habits of this 

 species. The form nadcus, being more abundant, has been a little bet- 

 ter observed, and its habits probably do not differ much from our 

 variety. It is much dreaded by the settlers in the West, who call it the 

 "Sand Viper." It is entirely harmless, and Dr. Coues states that he 

 could not provoke it to bite. Like its relative, platirhinos, when it is 

 disturbed it makes a great demonstration of hostility. One that I came 

 upon in a prairie path in Kansas sprang out into plain sight and began 

 such a wriggling and hissing that for a moment I supposed that it was 

 really a rattlesnake. This was probably its purpose, and such move- 

 ments would be quite likely to frighten away from it any large animal 

 that otherwise might trample it. 



One writer {22, xvi, 566) tells of having found this snake hanging to 

 the foot of a box-tortoise. The foot was bleeding, and two of the toes 

 had been digested off. These tortoises ai'e not infrequently found with 



