TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCBS. 149 



about three feet long, the usual 

 average size of a fullgrown snake, 

 and it was rather attractive in its 

 jet black scale coverings of its 

 head, back and tail, the latter end- 

 ing in a short and pointed line. 

 The inside neck part and balance 

 of its body showed interrupted 



much larger size than this danger- 

 ous type of moccasin. 



Now, without wishing to go into 

 details I wish to call your attention 

 to the aeompanying photo illustra- 

 tion of a genuine Texas cotton- 

 mouth moccasin snake — a danger- 

 ous reptile, nowadays becoming 



Writing the Moccasin Article 

 (Photo by the Writer) 



light bluish or lead colored spots, 

 stripes and bands, and the lower 

 tailpart was of a dark steel-blue 

 color. 



Its namesake — the common 

 watersnake of our rivulets, on the 

 other hand, is throughout its 

 length of one imsightly gray or 

 "mud-color," and, as a rule, is of 



exceedingly rare in their haunts 

 fis compared to oldeu days when 

 the hunters and outing parties 

 were less numerous, and such rep- 

 tiles less hunted by reptile deal- 

 ers for the market, and conse- 

 quently such snakes were less mo- 

 lested — with a full load in the 

 head. 



