178 A COLLECTOR'S EXPERIENCES 



it is sounded, there is a noise like escaping steam. 

 The length of the reptile may be estimated at six 

 feet, while the diameter of its thickest part is fully 

 three inches. And this is Rattles, now three years 

 old, his meals consisting of rabl)its of fair size. 



From the history of this snake, it will be under- 

 stood that the j)ractise of estimating the age of a 

 rattlesnake by counting each joint of its rattle as one 

 year is far from correct, as the number of joints ac- 

 quired annually by the captive reptile averaged four, 

 and would probably be one, possibly two less in the 

 case of a wild snake, owing to the time spent in 

 hibernation, when growth practically ceases. It must 

 be explained, however, that wild reptiles grow faster 

 than captive specimens, no matter how thorough may 

 be the care of the latter. By allowing three joints 

 of the rattle for a year, the age of a snake may be 

 gaged, if the rattle is pointed^ and still retains the 

 " button." When all of the joints of a rattle are of 

 uniform size, the owner of the same has ceased grow- 

 ing, and the rattles of its youth have been lost through 

 wear or injury at some indefinite time impossible to 

 discover. In such a case it can not be ascertained 

 how many rattles have been grown and lost, but of 

 course demonstrates the snake to have attained ma- 

 turity. When greatly angered, snakes with long rat- 

 tles will shake oif a number of the joints in sounding 

 the instrument which warns the unwary of their deadly 

 powers. 



