226 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



County, California, and in the Mojave Desert. It has 

 been taken in Arizona, and ranges the whole length of 

 the peninsula of Lower California. 



Habits. — This seems to be distinctively a desert species. 

 Like other rattlesnakes, it is ovoviviparous. A specimen 

 taken at San Jose del Cabo, in September, contained 

 three young about 260 mm. in length. 



77. — Crotalus ruber (Cope). AVestern Diamond Rattle- 

 snake. 



Grotalus adamanteus ruber. Cope, Proc. U. S.Nat. Mas., XIV, 1891, 



p. 690 (type locality unknown.) 

 Crotalus atrox ruber, Stejneger, Kep. U. S. Nat. Mus., 1893 (1895), 



p. 439. 

 Crotalus ruber, Va.v Denbcrgh, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. (2), V, 1895, p. 



1007. 



Description. — Large. Head broad, flat-topped, vary- 

 ing in outline according to position of fangs, etc. Ros- 

 tral usually higher than wide, in contact with anterior 

 nasal. Two nasals. Usually two preoculars and two to 

 four internasals. A large scale just in front of supra- 

 ocular. Supraocular large but not raised into a horn- 

 like process; separated from its fellow by six or seven 

 irregular rows of scales. About sixteen or seventeen 

 superior and seventeen to nineteen inferior labials; first 

 pair of latter not meeting on median line in front of 

 single pair of genials. About four rows of scales be- 

 tween supralabials and eye. Scales in twenty-seven to 

 twenty-nine rows, of which one or two on each side are 

 smooth. Gastrosteges varying from one hundred and 

 eighty-six to one hundred and ninety-nine. Urosteges 

 twenty-two to twenty-six. 



The general color is light red, reddish cinnamon, or 

 brownish yellow, with a series of large, darker blotches 

 along the back. These blotches are sometimes very 



