416 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1893. 



Resembles C. miliarius in its general appearance, but without the ver- 

 tebral brownish red line. The ground color is olivaceous brown, the 

 blotches of a deeper brown, encircled with a black tillet margined with 

 a whitish yellow line. There are about 50 blotches in the dorsal series, 

 emargiiiiited anteriorly only, oO of which are transversely elongated, 

 very irregular; the 20 remaining ones nearly circular, with regular out- 

 lines. The blotches of the lateral rows are comparatively small and 

 of nearly ecpial size, though sometimes one of either row may appear 

 much the largest. The blotches of the first lateral series are opposite 

 to those of the dorsal and affect the first, second, and third rows of 

 scales and the extremities of the abdominal scntellse [ventrals, or gas- 

 trosteges]. The blotches of the second series alternate with these, 

 extending on the third, fourth, ai'.d fifth rows of scales. The blotches 

 of the third series are obsolete and alternate with those of the second 

 series, and are generally opposite to those of the dorsal series situated 

 in the fifth, sixth, and seventh rows. The upper surface of the head is 

 brown; there are 2 vittse extending from the vertex along the neck to 

 the first dorsal blotch. A broader and deep chestnut- brown band 

 extends from the eye to the neck. The frontal region is deeper brown 

 than the vertex. A yellowish white line starts from the nostrils near 

 the upper surface of the head, extending backward, in passing between 

 the eye and the pit, to the angle of the mouth. A vertical whitish bar 

 extends from each side of the pit to the labial. The belly is yellowish 

 white, marbled with black, transversely oblong patches. The vertical 

 plate [frontal] is cordiform ; the anterior frontal plates [internasals] pro- 

 portionally small; the occipital [parietal] rather broad. The scales of 

 the body are elongated, a little smaller than in G. miliarius, but not 

 quite so acute posteriorly. The 2 lateral and smooth rows are much 

 broader than the rest, and conspicuous. Most of the scales of these 2 

 rows are black, with the posterior edge straw-colored, giving the appear- 

 ance of a succession of distinct crescents. The tail is conical and taper- 

 ing; the rattle composed of one ring besides the terminal one. 



Edwards' Massasauga. 



Sistrurus catcnalus edivardsii,* (B. & G.). 



Plate 6. 



1853. — Crotalophorus edwardsii, Baird and Girard, Cat. N. Am. Serp., p. 15. — 



DuMERiL et BiBRON, l5rp('t. Geu., vii, ii, p. 1483 (1854).— Baird, U. S. 



Mex. Bound. Surv. Kept., p. 15 (1859). — Caudisoiia edwardsii, Cope, Bull. 



U. S. Nat. Mus. No. 1, Check list, p. 34 (1875). 

 1874. — Crotalus miliarius, Jan, Icon. Ophid., livr. 46, pi. iii, tig. 6 (not of Linn). 

 I88'd.—Sistrnrits miliarius, war. edwardsii, Garman, Rept. Batr. N. Am., i, Ophid., 



p. 177. 

 1892. — Crotalophorus catenatus edwardsii, Cope, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xiv, 1891, 



No. 882, p. 685.— Cope, Proc. Phil a. Acad., 1892, p. 336. 



* Named in honor of Dr. L. A. Edwards, U. S. A. 



