RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



21 



should be borne in mind, however, that not 

 unfrequenth', adjoining plates nia}^ coalesce, 

 and that the larger plates ma}' subdivide. 



The first divisions of Rhode Island Ophidia 

 are based on the non-possession or posses- 

 sion of poison glands and fangs. (It is a 

 popular belief that the tongue is the " poi- | 

 son fang." The fangs, properlj' speaking, I 

 possessed only b}' venomous snakes, are ] 

 two long curved teeth in the upper jaw so 

 perforated by a canal that the poison, se- 

 creted b}' the salivar}^ glands, situated 

 above the roof of the mouth, has exit near 

 the point of the tooth, making it thus at 

 once a lance and injecting instrument.) j 



On examining several snakes, some will 

 be found to have the scales along the back 

 provided with a longitudinal rib ; such 

 scales are said to be "keeled"; the com- 

 mon Garter Snake has scales of such a 

 character, while the scales of the Black 

 Snake are perfectly smooth. The abdomi- 

 nal plates are the broad scales by the move- 

 ment of which the serpent is enabled to 

 crawl ; the last is often divided. B^^ the 

 use of the following pla^i, the several gen- 

 era which are likely to occur in the state 

 can be determined. 



A. Serpents not provided withj?;oison/a?igr.s. 

 Scales of the back prominently keeled. 

 No scales between labials and orbit. 

 Loreal plate present. 



Tropidonotus. 

 Loreal plate absent, 

 Storekia. 



Scales between labials and orbit. 

 Heterodon. 



Scales of the back smooth, or nearlj' so. 

 . Last abdominal plate divided. 

 Nasal p)lates separate. 

 Labials seven. 



Preorbitals two, unequal. 



Coluber. 

 Preorbitals two, about equal. 



DiADOPHIS. 



Labials eight. 

 Preorbital one. 

 Elaphis. 

 Nasal plates undivided. 

 Preorbital one. 



CycLOPHis. 

 Last abdominal j^late entire. 



Nasal divided. 



Preorbital one. 



Opiiibolus. 



Serpents provided with poison /an^s. 

 Froyital plate divided. 



C ROTA L us. 



Frontal plate entire. 



Ancistrodox. 



Embryology of Fulgur Carica. 



At a recent meeting of the Philadelphia 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, Mr. John Ford 

 reported the finding of capsules of Fulgur 

 carica, containing living embr3'os, near South 

 Atlantic Citj', on November 16, 1884. 



As he had already secured live specimens 

 in December, 1883, and in each of the six 

 months following, this would prove the de- 

 position of capsules by the species mentioned 

 during the largest part of the year, instead 

 of in the spring months only, as was for- 

 merly supposed. Living embryos of F. can- 

 aliculata were also obtained monthly, dur- 

 ing the same period. 



Several other strings of capsules, includ- 

 ing some of F. canaliculata , were secured 

 on the same occasion, but exposure to the 

 sun for a da}' or two had killed the embryos. 



At the same locality' were discovered two 

 species of living Pholades, P. rrisjxita Linn, 

 and P. truncata Say, also a fine colon}' of 

 living Littorina irrorata Say ; all of these 

 species being new, it is believed, to that 

 part of the coast. 



It is probable that the billet of wood in 

 which the Pholades were found had drifted 

 from some distant locality, as there do not 

 appear to be any conditions favorable to 

 their existence between Brigantine Inlet 

 and Great Egg Harbor Bay. 



In regard to the habitat of the Littorina 

 there could be no doubt whatever, as they 

 were present in large numbers, and in a 

 flourishing condition, although dwelling lit- 

 erall}^ upon the sand, instead of on broken 

 rock or pieces of timber, where the species 

 is usually found. It is southern in distribu- 

 tion, rarely occurring north of the mouth of 

 Chesapeake Bay. 



Why can't a fisherman be generous ? Be- 

 cause his business makes him sell-fish. 



