COPPERHEAD. 675 



GKNns ANCISTEODON. Beauvois. 



Cephalic region covered with nine large plates arranged as in Colubridce ; vertical and super- 

 oiliaries on a line with the eye, oocipitals farther back; anteorbitala two, elongated 

 longitudinally ; nasals two ; loral present, excluded from the the orbit ; head flattened, 

 triangular ; dorsal scales in 23 rows, carinated ; tail rather short, tapering to a point, 

 and without rattle ; nrosteges divided posteriorly. 



Ancistbodon contoetrix Linnseus. 



Copperhead. 



Boa contortrix, Linn^us, Gmblin, 



AgMatrodon moiason, Bbauvois. 



Cenohris contortrix, Daudin. 



Cenchris mokeson, Haklan. 



Seytalus cuprewe, Eapinksqbe, Haklan. 



Toxicophis, Troost. 



Trigonocephalus cenchris, Schlegbi,. 



TrigonocephaluB contortrix, IIolbrook, Haixowbll, Kirtland, DbKay, Dumbril and 



BiBRON. 



Andstrodon contortrix, BAiRDand Girard, Cope, Allen. 



Copper- colored above, brighter upon the flanks; reddish-brown transverse bands upon 

 the back, about 16 in number, dilated upon the sides ; rounded spots of a similar color 

 between these bands ; lateral blotches from 30-38, varying from round to sub-quadrate, 

 dusky; beneath pale cupreous; postorbital plates two, continuous under the eye with two 

 small infraorbitals ; snperciliaries broad and long ; vertical slightly longer than the 

 occipitals, the latter notched posteriorly ; labials, 8 above, 9 below ; inframixillaries 

 small; gastrosteges, 150-155 ; nrosteges, 40-50; tail terminating in a horny point, the 

 analogue of the rattle in the Crotalidce. Length, 29 inches ; head, 1§ inches ; tail, 3J 



General color grayish ash, vertebral blotches varying from cirouUr to triangular or 

 elliptical, from 37 to 45 in number, each with a yellow border ; a, reddish-purple verte- 

 bral line extending from head to tail through the blotches ; lateral blotches in two or 

 three series ; nape with a grayish to yellowish longitudinal band, with a black blotch 

 on each side anteriorly ; a narrow line of white extends from the angle of the mouth to 

 the eye ; vertical plate irregularly sub-hexagonal ; labials, 10-11 on a side above, 11-12 

 below ; anteorbitals two, elongated longitudinally; loral one on each side; nasals two; 

 rostral large, irregular, urn shaped, smallest above; dorsal scales in 23 rows; gastros- 

 teges, 130-140; nrosteges, 30-40, usually not well marked. Length, 17 inches; head, i 

 inch ; tail, 2J inches ; transverse diameter of head, i inch ; of neck, 3-16 inch ; circum- 

 ference of body, 2 inches. 



Habitat, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. 



DeKay records this species in Michigan, on what authority I am unable to determine. 

 If it is a resident of that State it will doubtless yet be found in Ohio. However, its ex- 

 treme southern range leads me to believe that its reference to the fauna of Michigan is 

 a mistake, and that it probably does not occur within our limits. 



