ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



sized rabbit. Usually this species is regartleil as 

 a very " shy feeder " in captivity. Some sjieci- 

 mens never can he induced to eat, and alter 

 rrmarkable lasts of from si.x to eisht months, 

 ultimately die of starvation. The fanjjs of this 

 lormidable rej)tile are of greater length in ])ro- 

 jmrtion to the serpent's size than in any other of 



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I'K A I !■; I K RArn .KSN AK K. 



the Xorth .\nierican poisonous nptiKs. All tin 

 vi|icrinr suakt-s of the tropics and suh-lropits 

 appear to possess fangs of larger projiortions than 

 those of serpents of tiic temperate zone. l"oi 

 example, \vc observe that the fangs of the 

 Fer-de-Lance, a tropical species, are proportion- 

 atily larger than those of the most dangerous 

 snake of tiie I'nited States. 



Closely allied to the ■•Diamond-Hack" is the 

 pugnacious Texas Rattlesnake, a s]iecies of tin- 

 south-western deserts, which in its body ci>lor- 

 ation ai)i>roaches to a remarkable degree the 

 shades and tints of the arid wastes of western 



Te.xas. The rattles of this snake are so ucll 

 developed that the two lusty si)ecimens in the 

 I\e]itile House can be distinctly heard above the 

 rattling of the entire collection of rattlesnakes 

 wIk-u they are ilisturhetl. 



The most beautiful of these serpents is the 

 Timber, or Banded Rattlesnake. North of South 

 Carolina, this species exhibits peculiar variations 

 of color. The majority of the males are black, 

 and some so intensely black that the entire 

 upper surface is without a suggestion of bands. 



The females, to the contrary, are a brilliant 

 suljihur yellow, ornamented with transverse, ir- 

 regular black banils. .Sometimes these bands 

 assume the form of a chain of rhomb-like mark- 

 ings down the back. A freshly-shed female of 

 this species is one of the most beautiful of snakes, 

 and no matter how strong may be the prejudice. 



few can fail to ajjpreciate Nature's taste and 

 generosity in the tlistribution of brilliant tints. 



Although this ])eculiar color characteristic in 

 the Handed Rattlesnake is very constant, it some- 

 times happens that in New York, New Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania and the neighboring States, black 

 females are occasionally fountl. The writer has, 

 iiowever, never examined a yellow male from the 

 district describetl. In the South, where its sur- 

 roundings are quite difterent, the Handed Rattle- 

 snake assumes an entirely diflerent color phase 

 I'rom the nortliern specimens. 



The northern form is essentially a mountain 

 snake, and inhabits rugged, rocky country. In 

 the South this sjjccies lives in swamps, and the 

 neighborhood of bayous. It seems especially 

 partial to ilense growths of cane, and throughout 

 the southeastern States is known ])opularly as the 

 L'anebrake Rattlesnake. The latter form is 

 characteristic anti constant in its markings. 

 I\Iales ami females incline towards a salmon pink 

 traversed by bands of black. Strikingly peculiar 

 to this form, and very constant, is a distinct line 

 ot rusty red, running almost the entire length of 

 the back, to the width of about three scales. 

 Such specimens are found in Georgia, Alabama, 

 l^outh Carolina, Mississi]ipi and Louisiana. This 

 Southern form grows to such a size that it rivals 



COl'I'l-.klil AD SN'AKK. 



the Diamond-Hacked Rattlesnake', Inn it is a 

 more slender rel)tile. 



Contrary to the usual rejjutation of venomous 

 snakes in captivity, the Water Moccasin is the 

 most hardy reptile that has come under the 

 writer's observation. It is an omnivorous feeder, 

 taking rabbits, rats, birds, frogs, fish and snakes 

 other than its kind, with the same degree of 

 voracity. The specimens in the Reptile House, 

 being captive bred, anti feeding frequently and 



