gia General Notes. [ November, 
bank of the San Juan river, near the line between New Mexico 
and Colorado. While out one day with my guide, we came 
across a very large bull-snake (Pityophis sp.?). The reptile 
was suspended on some small dead oak trees about two feet from 
the ground. These little trees were about as thick through as the 
snake, and the bark was ringed and spotted much as he appeared. 
We went close to the snake, but he did not stir, remaining appar- 
ently stiff and rigid like the sticks upon which he lay. We 
viewed him for some moments, commenting upon his singular _ 
position and appearance, when “ Frank ” finally shot his head off. 
As this snake closely resembled, in size and color, the little slen- 
der oaks which abound in that region, and which are often found 
bent to the ground, dead, it occured tu me that he was practicing 
deception, either to enable him to capture a bird or other prey, or 
to conceal himself from his enemies.—Chas. Aldrich, Webster city, 
Towa. 
VIBRATIONS OF THE TAIL IN SNAKES.—I had occasionally seen 
this manifestation in some of our common, harmless snakes, in 
years past, but my attention was specially directed to it last year, 
while making collections for the National Museum and the Zoo- 
logical Garden, Philadelphia. Among my captures were some 
large specimens of a species of wolf-snake (Coluber obsoletus 
confinis) Whenever these reptiles were disturbed or annoyed, 
they would vibrate their tails precisely like our rattlesnakes, and 
with a very similar sound, snapping at any movable object within 
reach. They had a general resemblance in color to our rattle- 
snakes, and if met unawares in the dry grass, one might well 
believe on the instant that he had encountered a genuine massa- 
sauga !— Chas. Aldrich, Webster city, Lowa, 
Tue Hasits oF THE Oranc.—lIn an interesting paper on the 
orang, read by Mr. W. F. Hornaday at the Saratoga meeting of 
the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he 
records the following facts and impressions from’ personal obser- 
vations in Borneo: 
“Each individual of the Bornean orangs differs from his fel- 
lows, and has as many facial peculiarities belonging to himself 
alone as can be found in the individuals of any unmixed race of 
human beings. According. to my experience,’ Mr. Hornaday 
said, “ orangs differ from each other fully as much as either 
Chinese or Japanese, if not more. The faces of the more intelli- | 
gent orangs are capable of a great variety of expression, and in 
some the exhibition of the various passions which are popularly 
supposed to belong to human beings alone, is truly remarkable. 
I had: in my possession, in Borneo, four young living orangs.— 
= Three were dull and intractable, but the fourth was a perpetua 
= wonder both to Europeans and the natives themselves. For 
weeks it lived in the same room with me so that I watched it- 
