ee rco3, PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. a90 
has frequently in May found the eggs of the hog-nosed snake in con- 
siderable numbers, a few inches below the surface of the ground; and 
in early July he once found a family of 17 very small, and apparently 
just hatched, young, These resented all interference, snapped, hissed, 
and flattened their heads precisely as an older snake would do. The 
size of the young is not given, but in another place (op. cit. p. 295) he 
implies that they were less than 4 inches in length. I think that this 
species, like most other species, produce their young rather later in the 
season; but I see no reason for not believing that some individuals 
may bear their eggs over the winter and lay them in the spring. 
A. female (U. S. Nat. Mus., No. 17951), sent me from Veedersburg, 
Fountain county, Ind., contained fifteen eggs, the posterior four of 
which lay in the left oviduct. 1 could discover no signs of embryos. 
Hach egg was covered by a thick, tough. yellowish coat, inside of which 
was a thimer and more delicate membrane. 
Through the kindness of Mr. L. Stejneger, curator of the department 
of reptiles in the National Museum, I have been enabled to make some 
observations on the eggs and living young of this Heterodon. On the 
olst day of last August, there were brought into the laboratory of the 
Department, for some point in Maryland not far from Washington, a 
lot of twenty-seven eggs, which the finder said were the eges of the 
copperhead. It was reported that the eggs were thrown up out of the 
ground by the plow, and that the mother snake was near by and had 
resented the disturbing of her treasures. She had been killed, but 
had not been sent along with the eggs. Since it was supposed that the 
copperhead produces living young, the occupants of the laboratory 
were anxious to learn if this opinion were erroneous. Accordingly 
one of the eggs was opened, and in it was found a young hog-nosed 
snake, fully developed, and ready to assist himself on the stage of action. 
This Heterodon quite closely resembles the copperhead, and most peo- 
ple are not accustomed to make nice distinctions among snakes. This 
close resemblance may account for some of the statements of the large 
number of young produced by the copperheads.* 
The eges referred to were between an inch and a quarter and an 
inch and a half long, and about seven-eighths inch in short diameter. 
The ege-covering was thick, tough, and flexible, resembling a piece of 
parchment. There is little if any deposit of lime in it. Of these eggs, 
some were found to have hatched during the night of September 6. 
Others, which were buried somewhat deeper in some clay, escaped from 
the eggs later; but all were out by the afternoon of the 8th. The 
lengthof such as were measured varied between 7 and 8 inches. From 
the moment of escape from the egg all were quite active, and mani- 
fested many of the characteristics of the adults. Some of the little fel- 
lows were quite Raney, and would make a pretense of striking at the 
approaching finger; but their efforts in that line were rather feeble. A 
* Amer, Nat. VOL, SEV ps L235 
