AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES. 187 
spot. Below these on each side a double series of short narrow 
irregular or broken blackish vertical wavy streaks. Gastrosteges 
all more or less dusky-edged, and more or less alternately at each 
side with large dark or blackish marks. On short tail uniform 
pale brownish-white, also no lateral marks. Lower surface of 
trunk grayish-white generally, and that of head creamy. A 
deep brown interocular bar, and another postocular. Labials 
finely peppered with brownish. Length 63¢ inches. On the rail- 
road near Cold Spring, Cape May County. October 7th, 1906. 
Both a brown and dark form were found on Dr. Abbott's 
meadows near Trenton, though the latter was the less abundant. 
Those of the dark form he saw were all adults, 2 feet or a little 
over, in length. This snake is frequently reported to be venom- 
ous though, of course, perfectly harmless. It will flatten and 
swell out till distended several inches in width when disturbed 
or alarmed. They prefer dry open fields and feed on grasshop- 
pers, mice, moles, shrews, etc. Mr. Fox killed 1 about 1895 
near Bridgeton. It is reported from about Dennisville, in Cape 
May County, and is said to be abundant. Mr. McCadden has 
observed it at Stone Harbor. I have examined a number of 
examples from Bridgeton, Point Pleasant (A. P. Brown and 
Witmer Stone), Cape May Point (J. B. Ives), and 1 without 
definite locality (Dr. J. E. Holbrook). 
FHleterodon platirhinos Holbrook, N. Am. Herp., I, 1838, p. 
97, Pl. 21—Holbrook, 1..c., Ed. 2, IV, 1842, p. 67, Pl. 17. 
‘Heterodon platyrrhinus Abbott, Geol. N. J., 1868, p. 802. 
Heterodon platyrhinos Lockwood, Am. Nat., IX, 1875, p. Io. 
—Stone, Am. Nat., XL, 1906, p. 167. 
Heterodon platyrhinus Abbott, Am. Nat., XVI, 1882, p. 708. 
—Abbott, Nat. Rambles, 1885, p. 476.—Ditmars, Proc. Linn. 
soc. N. Y., 1895-96, No. 8, p. 17.—Cope, Rep. U. S. Nat. Mus., 
1898 (1900), p. 761. 
