Reptiles of Massachusetts. 31 
lower ; these plates on the jaws are yellow, mar- 
gined with black. Eyes moderate in size; from 
their posterior angle, a black band passes obliquely 
backwards. Upon the neck, seven longitudinal plates, 
between the chin and the abdominal plates; the an- 
terior three, largest; the second, larger than any. 
Length of the tail, four inches. 
The abdominal plates are 207 5 caudal scales, ‘48. 
This species feeds upon toads and frogs. 
C. sipedon. Lin. The water Adder. 
; Shaw’s Gen. Zoology, vol. iii. pt. 2. p. 496. 
Pen Harlan's Med. and Phys. Res. p. 114. 
$ 
Large numbers of this species are found in mowing 
meadows which are overflowed a part of the season ; 
it is frequently killed at Cambridge, four feet and 
more in length; its body being the size of a man's 
wrist. By many it is avoided, as being poisonous in 
its bite. The body is large; its circumference less- 
ening but little, anterior to the vent ; rapidly tapering 
posterior to the vent; of an uniform dark brown 
color above ; reddish upon the sides ; abdomen yel- 
lowish white, mottled with dark brown; beneath 
the tail, nearly black. Whole upper part of the 
body covered with rows of elongated, strongly cari- 
nated scales; these carine, more obvious upon the 
posterior extremity; nothing peculiar in the arrange- 
ment of the plates upon the head; the ten plates 
upon the top of the head, of moderate size ; sixteen 
plates upon the upper jaw ; eighteen plates upon the 
