jQQ Crotalus Pyrrhus in California. 



hear of a specimen in Dr. T. H. Street's account of reptiles collected 

 by him during the cruise of the U. S. Steamer 'Narragansett,' en- 

 gaged in the survey of the coasts of Lower California (Bull. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., No 7.) A large specimen (total length 1.070 meter) was 

 captured on Angel Island in the Gulf of California and deposited in 

 the National Museum. The fourth specimen was obtained in the 

 same place by Mr. Chas. H. Townsend during the visit of the U. S. 

 Fish Commission Steamer Albatross in 1889 (Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus., 

 XIII, p. 144) and is likewise one of large proportions (length 1.2-30 

 meter). 



These were all the known specimens up to 1890, during which 

 year Mr. Orcutt obtained two specimens in the Colorado Desert, San 

 Diego Co., Cal., which with usual liberality he presented to the 

 National jNIuseum. Oue of these, a fine example, intermediate in 

 size (0.940 m.) between the type and the large specimens from Angel 

 Island, was caught 'near Mountain Springs' in June, while the other, 

 a much smaller individual (0.480 m.), with a head about the same 

 size as that collected by Dr. Loew, from the same locality, was col- 

 lected in October. These are, so far, the only Calif ornian specimens. 

 The species received its systematic name from the unusual color 

 of the type specimen, which is described as beiug 'pale vermillion' 

 (though in another connection the 'general tint' is said to be 'bright 

 salmon red') 'varied with yellow on the sides of the belly, with 

 numerous large reddish-bay hexagons, which become transverse 

 bands on posterior two-thirds of length; yellow below.' Though 

 having been kept in alcohol for more than twenty-five years the 

 speciinen still retains a good deal of its ofigin.al brilliancy. 



. None of the specimens obtained since show a similar coloring. 

 So far from being 'red' rattlesnakes, they are decidedly 'white,' and 

 in Mr. Orcutt's letter his specimens are in fact referred to as the 

 'white rattlesnake.' In all of them the ground color is a slightly 

 buffy white, more or less sprinkled with black dots, giving it a kind 

 of 'pepper and salt' appearance. The large blotches on the back are 

 very wide (transversely) and of a brownish clay color, becoming 

 brighter posteriorly ; the borders of these blotches are marked with 

 more or less isolated blackish spots. In Dr. Street's report the pale- 

 ness of his specimen is attributed to fading in alcohol, but as Mr. 

 Orcutt's specimens were received quite fresh, it is evident that it is 

 the type which is unusually colored and not the others. As might 

 be expected, the markings are better defined in the smaller speci- 

 mens than in the two larger ones from Angel Island 



The affinities of the present species are decidedly with Crotalus 

 mitchellii from the southern extremity of Lower California, as 

 already pointed out by Prof. Cope. Garman has referred it to C. 

 confluentus as a variety, at one time even expressing the opinion that 

 it might be only an individual variation, bnt the|additional material 

 proves its distinctness from C. confluentus and nearest allies beyond 



