By courtesy IWew ^'nrk Zoiilixii, 

 The Texas rattlesnake (Crotalus alrox), sometimes seven feet in length, is common in the sub-arid regions of 

 the American Southwest. It was a specimen of this snake in captivity at the New York Zoological Park thai re- 

 cently gave in New York City an opportunity of judging of the powerful effect of crotaline poison and the counter- 

 action of this effect through the use of antivenomous serum 



By cnurtesy New York Zoological Society 

 The fer-de-hince, or lance-headed viper {Lackesis lanceolalus) is a greatly feared snake found in southern 



Mexico, tropical South America and the West Indian Islands, where, like the other poisonous snakes of the region, 



it causes a considerable loss of life. Its poison is used by Dr. Vital Brazil in making a specific antitoxic serum 



The fer-de-lance is a near relative of the deadly bushmaster {Lactiesis milium) of Central and South America. 



The bushmaster has the distinction of being the largest poisonous snake of the New World. It is said to attain at 



times a length of twelve feet 



195 



