Say on Herpetology. 2.63 



the age of an individual cannot be determined from their 

 number. Mr. Rubens Peale informed me, that a female of 

 Crotalus horridus, Beauv. durissus, Daud. which lived in his 

 Museum more than fourteen years, had eleven joints to her 

 rattle when first in his possession ; that several joints were 

 acquired and lost annually, and that at her death, which oc- 

 curred last year, she had the same number as when brought 

 to the Museum ; she had, however, during that time received 

 an accession of four inches to her length. Her death was occa- 

 sioned by an abortion. 



The C adamanteus, Beauvois. Rhombifer, Daud. is by 

 much the largest of our North American serpents, and doubt- 

 less is the species which Catesby saw a specimen of, eight 

 feet long. 



Crotalus miliarius varies in some characters from those laid 

 down by authors. A specimen within my view has five dorsal 

 series, of alternate, irregularly orbicular black spots, those of 

 the intermediate series are obsolete, and slightly connected 

 across the back, those of the vertebral series have not red 

 centres, and are edged with a white line ; the ventral spots 

 are disposed adventitiously, so as not to be traced into longi- 

 tudinal series ; they are large, black, irregularly orbicular, 

 and occupy about one half of the surface, which is white. 

 Ventral plates 140; subcaudal, 33, of which the six terminal 

 ones are bifid. Joints of the rattle with but one transverse con- 

 traction on the middle of each, besides the terminal contraction. 

 Total length 1 foot 4J- inches, tail two inches. It appears to be 

 more vindictive than the two species before mentioned. The 

 individual here noticed we encountered in East Florida ; he 

 struck at Mr. W. Maclure and myself successively as we passed 

 by him, without any previous intimation of his presence, owing 

 to the inaudible smallness of his rattle, and its having but three 

 joints; he was killed by Mr. T. Peale, (whom we preceded) 

 while preparing for another assault. This incident is noted as 

 a contrast to the anecdote of the Coluber heterodon. 



Salamandra alleganiensis , Daud. appears to be synonymous 

 with S. gigantea of Dr. Barton. It was first described by Mr. 

 Latreille in Deterv. Ed. of Buffon, torn. U. The name aUega- 



