POISONOUS SNAKES OF NORTH AMERICA. 431 



The Banded Rattlesnake probably does not enter the Florida penin- 

 sula proper, but the National Museum is indebted to Judge Bell for a 

 fine specimen from Gainesville, in the interior, at the base of the penin- 

 sula. It occurs also in all the other Southern States, and I have even 

 seen a specimen from Ilouma, in the i)ine lands southwest of New 

 Orleans. 



In the mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky the Banded Rattlesnake 

 is still fairly common, but not so in Ohio and Indiana. Kirtland, as 

 early as 1838 (in Mather's Sec. Rep. Geol. Surv. Ohio, p. 107), stated that 

 in the former State it was then but rarely seen, though formerly very 

 abundant, and with regard to Indiana we have Dr. O. P. Hay's recent 

 assertion (Batr. Rept. Indiana, 1893, p. 129) that it is to be found, in 

 all probability, in nearly all the counties of Indiana, though in most 

 places quite rare. He can only name two localities where it has been 

 taken recently and record of it preserved, viz, New Harmony and 

 Monroe County. In Michigan it appears to be rare, the only definite 

 record I can lay hand on at present being that of Dr. Morris Gibbs 

 (Wolverine Naturalist, February, 1890, p. 12) of a specimen killed in 

 Kalamazoo County. 



H. Garman (Bull. 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., iii, 1892, p. 312) is author- 

 ity for the statement that it occurs throughout Illinois in hilly, forest 

 regions, though being rapidly exterminated, while Higley (Trans. Wis. 

 Acad. Sc, VII, 1884, p. 161), in regard to its distribution in Wisconsin, 

 has only this to say, that it was formerly very common, but is now sel- 

 dom met, and that it may be found in the rocky bluffs of the larger 

 rivers. 



Mr. Julius Hurter (Trans. St. Louis Acad. Sc, vi, Dec. 1893, p. 

 258) has an interesting note on a local increase of this snake. Years 

 ago, he says, it was rather scarce in St. Clair County, 111., as in those 

 days there was no stock law, and the pigs roamed around and exter- 

 minated a good many snakes, but since the stoctk law has gone into 

 effect, compelling swine to be penned up, the snakes have become more 

 numerous again. In early spring they are found near the bluffs under 

 rocks, but later on they go to the wheat fields and meadows, wliere 

 they are very safe till harvest time, when a good many are destroyed 

 by the farm hands. 



West of the Mississippi they are still found in eastern Iowa, at least, 

 Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Indian Territory. The Banded Rat- 

 tlesnake even extends into Texas, as Dr. Shumard sent to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution a specimen collected on the upper Brazos during 

 Capt. Marcy's exploration of that river. 



Habits. — In a general way most of what has been written about the 

 habits of the rattlesnake refers to the present species. In contradis- 

 tinctioji to the Water Rattlesnake, C, adanuditex.s, and the Prairie Rat- 

 tlesnake, (\ conjiuentus, the present species is often called the "Timber 

 Rattler," because of its predilection for wooded districts. It does 

 undoubtedly often in summer take up its abode in prairies and mea4- 



