BIOGRAPHY OP A RATTLESNAKE 177 



When six and a half months old Battles shed his third 

 skin, one having been sSed shortly after birth, and 

 the other some three months hence, as described. 

 He now possessed " two rings and a button," which 

 buzzed quite noisily. The snake at this time meas- 

 ured thirty-eight inches, and easily swallowed, entire, 

 half -grown rats. 



During all his observations of this snake, as well 

 as the others of the brood, the writer noted, without 

 exception, that the shedding of the skin, which took 

 place on an average of every three months, was at- 

 tended with the uncovering of a new joint of the rat- 

 tle. At nine months after its birth the snake's rattle 

 consisted of three joints and the original button. 



When Eattles celebrated, his first birthday he meas- 

 ured four and a half feet, an increase of about three 

 and a half feet during the year. He now fed vora-* 

 ciously upon full-grown rats, which died within a few 

 seconds of a stroke by his fangs ; his rattle had at- 

 tained the dignity of four joints apd a button. 



After two years from his fii|&|/l»irthday, let us again 

 examine Rattles. In a largd^glass-f rented cage lies 

 a magnificent rattlesnake, its head nearly as broad as 

 a man's hand, its colors a combination of olive, yel- 

 low, and black, forming a chain of diamond markings 

 down iti^ back. From the center of the coil protrudes 

 a rattle "consisting of twelve rings and a tiny button ; 

 each riiig, from the tip of this appendage toward the 

 tail, is Been to be a little larger than the preceding 

 one, illustrating the growth of the snake ; the rattle 

 is seldpm used, for the snake is very tame, but when 



