New Jerfey, Raccoon. 203 



I likewife affured myfelf of, by counting 

 the fcales over again. It is poffible that 

 the end of this laft fnake's tail was cut off, 

 and the wound healed up again -f. 



The country abounds with Black Snakes. 

 They are among the firfr. that come out in 

 fpring, and often appear very early if warm 

 weather happens ; but if it grows cold 

 again after that, they are quite frozen, and 

 lie ftiff and torpid on the ground or on the 

 ice ; when taken in this ftate and put be- 

 fore a fire, they revive in lefs than an hour's 

 time, It has fometimes happened, when 

 the beginning of January is very warm, 

 that they come out of their winter habita- 

 tions. They commonly appear about the 

 end of Marcb> old ftyle. 



This 



f It has been found by repeated experience, that the 

 fpecific charafter employed by Dr. Linnvus, for the dif- 

 tirxftion of the fpecies of fnakes, taken from their Scuta 

 pbdominalia iff caudalia, or their Squama; fubcaudales , va- 

 ries greatly in fnakes cf the fame fpecies, fo that often the 

 difference amounts to ten or more : the whole number of 

 the fcuta fometimes helps to find out the fpecies ; care 

 ought however to be taken, that the fnake may not by any 

 accident have loll its tail, and that it be growing again ; 

 in which cafe, it is impoflible to make ufe of this charac- 

 ter. The character is not quite fo good and deci five, as 

 may be wifhed. but neither are the marks taken from co- 

 lours, fpots, ftripes, &c. quite conftant ; and fo it is bet- 

 ter to make ufe of an imperfett character, than none at all. 

 Time, and greater acquaintance with this clafs of animals } 

 may perhaps clear up their natural characters. F. 



