1895.] Psychology. 75 
his scales and abdominal plates. At length he disappeared entirely, 
leaving a large handful of dry dirt on the surface and completely filling 
the burrow behind him with loose dirt. Another O. getulus burrowed 
out of sight in a garden bed, but the ground was loose and he did not 
throw back the dirt but seemed to press it aside, leaving his burrow 
open behind him. 
I have seen the Phyllophilophis œstivus dig its burrows with its 
broad rostral, the Heterodon platyrhinus turn up the soil with its 
trihedral rostral with as much facility as a rooting pig, and have 
watched the Carphophis amæna working its way through loose ground 
like the earth worms on which it feeds, but the O. getulus digging in 
hard ground and throwing out the dirt behind it was an unexpected 
sight— ANGUS GAINES. 
Habits of Heterodon platyrhinus at Raleigh, N. C.—This 
snake which is quite common here, has a habit when interfered with of 
first flattening its head and body and violently hissing; more interfer- 
ence causes the snake to writhe about violently opening its jaws to the 
fullest extent, it then finally turns on its back and simulates death 
but still keeps its mouth wide open. After “dying” it becomes per- 
fectly limp and may be carried in the hand a mile or more without show- 
ing signs of life, usually, however, still keeping the mouth open. One 
peculiarity alone shows life; if placed on the ground belly down, it at 
once turns on its back again nor can it be persuaded, however, “ dead ”, 
to lie on its belly. 
This snake, although perfectly well-known to every one here, seems to 
be frequently confounded with the copperhead ; only two months ago a 
colored boy came to us to find a remedy for snake bite as he had been 
bitten (as his badly swollen hand attested) by a “Spreading Add.” 
Another snake also confounded with the Spreading Adder is Natrix 
sipedon, on account of the habit sometimes indulged in by the latter 
species, particularly by young specimens, of flattening the body in a 
manner similar to that of Heterodon. 
The favorite food of Heterodon platyrhinus in this locality is the 
common toad, and they will sometimes take as many as three at a 
meal. If interfered with after a meal they frequently disgorge one or 
more toads. Personally I have never known them to eat anything else, 
but a friend who kept one for sometime said it would also eat young 
specimens of its own species. 
The wholly black variety of this species is very rare here, so far I 
have only seen three specimens.—C. S. BRIMLEY. 
