SNAKES. 149 



them. You may handle grass snakes, milk snakes, 

 spreading adders and racers, and none of them can do 

 you serious harm. The bite of most of them is scarcely 

 more than the prick of a pin-point. 



In some Northern and Southern states the rattlesnake 

 is black, and is called massasauga. Elsewhere it is usu- 



Moccasin. 



ally more or less distinctly spotted. In the Southern 

 States it is adorned by diamond-shaped spots, and is 

 called the diamond rattler. The Oregon rattlesnake has 

 round spots ; while that of many states is called the 

 banded rattlesnake. 



The number of rattles on the tail indicates nothing in 

 regard to the age of the animal. The use of the rattle 



