28 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



a lantern I use a large size "bull's eye." 

 The best nights for collecting with the lure 

 are those in spring when the weather is 

 what we call "mugg}." In the spring of 

 1883, when collecting from a lure, I cap- 

 tured 120 moths, besides a number of bee- 

 tles, from a clump of eleven trees. The 

 moths caught in spring are mostl3" the 

 Noctuids and Georaetrids. Night collect- 

 ing with lure can be commenced about 

 March 1st, and continued until the flowers 

 bloom ; then taken up about the middle of 

 August, when our beautiful catocala moths 

 can be taken in considerable numbers, be- 

 sides man\' of our rarer Geometrids. I find 

 that it is almost useless to lure the walnut 

 or hickor}' tree, as very few insects will be 

 taken from them, for what reason I cannot 

 explain. If there is an}^ tree where the sap 

 is running freel}' in the spring, either from 

 an abrasion of the bark or a cut fiom an 

 axe, don't neglect visiting it da^' and night, 

 as man}' insects will be caught thus which 

 would not visit a lure. 



Reptiles and Batrachians of Rhode Island. 



BY HERMON C. BUMPUS. 



Number VII. 



Having, by aid of the plan given in the 

 previous number, determined the genus^ 

 the reduction to species, when we have 

 several species under a single genus, as is 

 the case with Tropidenotus, is, for Rhode 

 Islanders, a comparatively' simple opera- 

 tion. It will be noticed, however, that the 

 several descriptions do not follow the arti- 

 ficial order of the plan, but are arranged 

 in their natural order, the highest form 

 being treated first. 



1 . Crotalns horridus Linne. The Banded 

 Rattlesnake was described by Linne, in 

 1758, as the most venomous of the serpent 

 tribe, growing to a length of six feet, and 

 as thick as a man's arm. Through the ob- 

 servations of later naturalists, however, the 

 " rattler" seems to be a reptile venomous 

 onl}' to a slight degree, when compared with 

 such forms as the deadly cobra of India. 

 Though the sting of Crotalus may be ex- 

 tremely painful, it should never prove fatal 

 if properly attended to. Sucking or cau- 

 terizing the wound, and drinking large 

 quantities of spirits, are said to generally 



check the serious effects of any ordinary 

 attack. In our state the rattlesnake is oc- 

 casionally met with among the northern hills. 

 On being surprised it is lazy, and, instead 

 of at once taking the offensive, ordinarily 

 gives its alarm, provided it is old enough ta 

 possess a rattle, and then, if further pressed, 

 may strike. Even if this happens the 

 venom is not necessarily forced from the 

 fangs, the snake seeming to realize that ita 

 supply of poison is not unlimited and if 

 once exhausted it will be compelled to re- 

 main harmless until the glands have se- 

 creted enough to again fill the reservoirs. 

 This is not the only form which makea 

 its presence known b}^ an alarm. Many 

 of our '' adders " when in dry leaves, by 

 rapidly vibrating the tail, produce a sound 

 so nearh^ I'esembling that of the " rattler,"" 

 as to even deceive an expert. The rattle,^ 

 a most common cabinet curiosity, is made 

 up of a series of horny rings, each consist- 

 ing of a posterior tongue-shaped portion, 

 which is held in the hollow, cup-like, ante- 

 rior portion of its succeeding fellow by a 

 terminal knob, the so-called "• button. ' It 

 will thus be seen, that if a portion of the 

 rattle is broken off, a " button " will always^ 

 remain. As such an accident is not unfre- 

 quent, and since several new rings ma}' be 

 added during a season, the number of rings- 

 can in no wa}' indicate the age of their pos- 

 sessor. It might further be added that 

 many common snakes are provided with an 

 horny appendageat the termination of the tail. 

 This should not be mistaken for a rudiment- 

 ary rattle by the amateur ; the young as 

 well as the old rattlesnakes are armed with 

 poison fangs which at once distinguish 

 them. In general form, Crotalus is short 

 and stout, seldom four feet long. 



2. Andstroden contortrix Baird and- 

 GiRARD. (Trignocephalus contortrix Linne.) 

 The copperhead, viper, or deaf adder, has 

 been placed among the Rhode Island snakes 

 because of the numerous instances of its 

 capture in neighboring localities. I can 

 find no native specimen in such local col- 

 lections as I have examined, nor any in- 

 stance of its capture. This with the pre- 

 vious species are the only poisonous varie- 

 ties likely to be found in our limited area, 

 or in fact anywhere in eastern United 

 States. Any facts in regard to either form 

 would be particularly valuable. 



