16. CROTALIDJE 



of Pasadena. They are, however, still common in parts of 

 the San Gabriel mountains. There is scarcely anyone, suffi- 

 ciently courageous, who neglects the opportunity to destroy 

 a rattlesnake when the chance is afforded. So that the de- 

 crease in the numbers of this reptile may be very confidently 

 laid to direct human influence. 



"To the naturalist, rattlesnakes are very interesting mem- 

 bers of our fauna, and their growing scarcity arouses regret 

 within us, just as does the disappearance of the ground owl, 

 road-runner and golden eagle. We wish people could be 

 more sensible in regard to even the rattlesnake} and yet 

 probably 99 out of 100 people would put us down as crazy 

 for recommending that rattlesnakes, except in the thickly- 

 settled valleys, or in the near vicinity of ranches where there 

 are children, had better be left unharmed. 



"The senior author in his extended field work has en- 

 countered a great many rattlesnakes but has never been bit- 

 ten and has never known anyone else in his near vicinity hav- 

 ing been bitten. The point here made is that the chances of 

 being bitten, even when one is by occupation particularly 

 exposed, are extremely remote. As to the venomous nature 

 of the bite we of course cannot defend the rattler. Yet fatal 

 cases are rare, and It would seem that where a sensible 

 course of treatment is at once resorted to there should be 

 little fear of serious results. 



"The authors of this paper spent the summer of 1906 

 about the headwaters of the Santa Ana River, in the San 

 Bernardino Mountains. In that locality rattlesnakes were 

 remarkably common, it being not an uncommon thing to 

 meet with three or four during a forenoon's tramp along 

 the canyon bottom. We saw in the neighborhood of 30 

 individuals and noosed ten for preservation as specimens; 

 the rest we left unharmed. Of all these none took the 

 offensive until thoroughly aroused, as when cornered and 



