170 ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY 



daily about barns and houses which it may frequent; from this habit 

 it gets the name of House Snake. 



The Hog-nosed Snakes. Genus Heterodon. Practically the entire 

 United States is inhabited by one or other of the three species of Hog- 

 nosed Snakes. They are blotched or black snakes with rather thick 

 bodies and strangely upturned snouts that give the popular name. 

 They have the flat, distinct head that is supposed to be characteristic 

 of venomous serpents, and this, with the habit they have of swelling 

 up the body with air and then blowing it out with a hissing sound, 

 has caused them to be almost universally considered venomous, 

 though they are entirely harmless to man. This curious habit has 

 given the popular name of Puff Adder or Blowing Viper. Their 

 tendency to live in dry places has doubtless given rise to the name Sand 

 Viper. Since these snakes are said to feed chiefly upon toads and frogs 

 they cannot be said to be beneficial to man, but rather the reverse. 



Among some savage and even civilized peoples the boas and other 

 large snakes are often used for food. The meat is firm and white, and 

 is said to taste somewhat like veal. Snake eggs also are used for food, 

 it is said. 



Snake "wine" is sold in China, and in this country rattlesnake oil is 

 sold as a medicine, which, it is claimed, is good for various aches and 

 pains, though its medicinal value is probably no greater than that of 

 any common animal oil. 



Crocodilia. More than 100 years ago attempts were made to 

 utilize the skin of the alligator, but it was not until about 1855 that 

 these attempts were successful and alligator leather became somewhat 

 fashionable and some thousands of hides were converted into leather. 

 The demand was short-lived, however, and was not again felt until the 

 demand for shoe-leather during the war between the States revived the 

 business. At the close of the war the business again failed, but about 

 1869 the demand became greater than ever and has continued unabated 

 almost to tKe present time. The supply of skins from our own States 

 proving inadequate, large numbers of skins were soon imported from 

 Mexico and Central America. The skins from South America are so 

 heavy that they are of little value in making leather. Of the States of 

 the Union, Florida has been the chief producer, the most important 

 centres for hides being Cocoa, Melbourne, Fort Pierce, Miami, and 

 Kissimmee. Ten men at the first-named place took, in 1899-1900, 



