THE SPREADING VIPER. 



85 



habits. He said he has seen hundreds of them when 

 plowing along the edges of the hammocks. This dar- 

 key and most of his race hereabouts often greet me, 

 whatever the time of day, with the 

 alliterative phrase, "Mawnin', mis- 

 ter.' 7 



In the afternoon I went with a 

 party to the shell mound. On the 

 way we happened upon a small 

 spreading viper, Heterodon platy- 

 rhinus Lat, in the sandy roadway. 

 It was very brightly colored and 

 about fourteen inches in length. On 

 first seeing us it hissed and spread 

 itself out very flat, but soon at- 

 tempted to escape. When headed 

 off, it turned over on its back and 

 went through some remarkable 

 squirming vibrations, twisting and writhing into 

 every conceivable form, as though suffering from a 

 most severe case of snake epilepsy. Finally, with 

 mouth wide open, it became perfectly quiet, feigning 

 death in every particular except when turned right 

 side up, when it would immediately squirm over 

 again. We left it apparently lifeless, but on return- 

 ing, a half hour later, it was gone. This curious 

 habit of feigning death when teased is seemingly pe- 

 culiar to the spreading viper, and is practiced by both 

 young and old.* This snake is said to be common 



*See Jour. Cincin. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1891, p. 33. 



r. 25 Mole 

 Cricket. 



(Natural rize.) 



