Original Observations on Reptiles and Insects of Texas. 17 



all make a peculiar rattling- noise — produced by opening and 

 closing their beak in quick succession, and the hunter often gets 

 alarmed, when the chaparral cock is not seen — believing the 

 rattling noise to be the warning signal of a rattlesnake, which 

 it closely resembles. 



The law allows the killing of birds and wild animals strictly 

 for scientific purposes, and the present game laws are doing an 

 immense amount of good in preserving the rapidly diminishing 

 game in Western Texas, and at this time of the year the 

 fields and valleys again abound with plentiful small game, 

 such as quail, wild doves, rabbits, etc., which in former years 

 were slaughtered wholesale, even during breeding time. 



As to reptiles, I included in the photo collection a few of the 

 more important species — the rattler and the moccasin snake. 

 The multi-colored kingsnake and the so-called mousesnake, seen 

 on the chart, were captured at San Geronimo ; one in a beauti- 

 ful forest valley, and the mousesnake in a cotton field. 



The photos show these reptiles in natural size and colors. 

 Two of the • illustrations show the poison fangs of a rattler 

 and a moccasin snake, mechanically exposed. As is known, each 

 poison fang, i. e., the main, fully developed fangs, are situated 

 in the upper jaw, covered by a broad membranous lining, and 

 communicating with the poison glands, which contain a teaspoon- 

 ful (more or less) of a most poisonous fluid resembling some- 

 what egg albumen. During the act of striking and penetration 

 of the sharp and slightly curved fangs, the poison bladder is 

 contracted by means of its muscular arrangements, and the 

 poison ejected through a delicate canal which traverses the cen- 

 ter of each poison fang and ends near the point of the tooth in 

 a grooved outlet. Now, in order to expose the fangs, as seen in 

 the photos, the covering membrane must first be retracted, as 

 during lifetime, the fangs are nearly entirely concealed by this 

 membrane ; however, during the act of penetrating into the flesh 

 it is fully retracted — even up to the base of both poison fangs. 

 The poison symptoms will depend entirely upon whether a fang 

 penetrates superficially only or very deeply, or lacerates some 

 blood vessel. Therefore not all rattlesnake bites are fatal. 

 Often the tooth breaks off during the striking act. or it pene- 

 trates thick clothing, boot or shoe, etc. Fright during the sud- 

 den meeting with a rattlesnake, with the blood-curdling "hiss" 



