SYNOPSIS OF GENERA AND SPECIES 



OF 



NEW^YORK SERPENTS 



Genus CROTALUS, Linn. 



Gen. Char. Uppei" surface of head covered witli small plates, scale-like, 

 witt a few larger ones in froilt. The tail is terminated by a well deve- 

 loped rattle. A deep pit between the eyes and the nostrils. Subcaudal 

 scutellse entire. Temporal and labial shields small and convex. 



1. Crotaltts DTTRISSTJS*, L. — Eattlesnake. 



Spec. Chab. Head angular. Scales between the superciliarles small, numerous, 

 uniform. Plates above snout, 2 anterior frontal, and 5 postfrontal. Suborbital 

 cham continuous, of large scales : two rows between this and labials. Labials 

 12 - 14 above, fifth largest; 13 - 15 below. Rows of scales on the back 23 - 25, 

 all carinated ; carination on outer row obsolete. Tail black. Above sulphur- 

 brown, with 2 rows of confluent brown lozenges. Light line from superciliary to 

 angle of the mouth; behind this a dark patch. 166, 25, 23, 42, 5 (Pennsylvania). 



I STNONTMS. » 



Crotalus durissus, Linn. Syst. Nat. I. 1766, 372. — Gm. Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. xiii. 

 I^iii. 1788, 1081.— HoiBR. N. Amer. Herp. III. 1842, 9. Pl.i.— Dekat, 

 li. Y. Fauna, Pt. III. 1842, 55. PI. ix. fig. 19.— Stoeek, Rep. Rept. of Mass. 

 1839, 233.— Baied & Gieard, Catal. N. Am. Serpents, 1853, 1. 



Vipera caudisona americana, OaTesb. Nat Hist. Carol. II. 1743, 41. PI. Ixi. 



Northern Rattlesnake. 



The Crotalus durissus, or northern rattlesnake, is more extensively dish 

 tributed throughout the United States than any other of the genus. It is 



* The numbers preceding tbe epecific name are the same with the corresponding figures on the plates. 



