1883.] The Copperhead. 1231 
and at a glance discovered an unmistakable light issuing forth 
from the latter's eyes, which warned me to be on my guard. 
While I must have impeded the serpent’s progress, gliding as 
he did toward the embankment of the swamp, and not ten feet 
from the edge of it when first noticed, the snake must have been 
as much surprised at my intrusion upon his siesta ground, as I 
was. It seems as if he had suddenly discovered my presence and 
was fully aware of my peaceful intentions, when I found myself 
face to face with him at a distance of only fifteen to eighteen 
inches from between his wicked-looking eyes and my hand. He 
must have come to a sudden halt with the form of his body still 
indicating the previous gliding motion. The head and neck was 
pressed closely to the ground, and the former unusually flat. 
After stepping to one side I took him to be a yellow rattler, so 
very deceptive were his colors, but a glance at his tail revealed 
the absence of the horny appendage. He appeared not to be 
More than two feet in length, and was as thick in the middle third 
of his body as a rattlesnake of twice that length, in fact, fully as 
broad as my wrist. The appearance of the entire body was that of 
complete relaxation, and presented an unusually broad surface of 
y, the same as that I have often witnessed in rattlesnakes I 
formerly had while asleep. Even the dorsal line was raised much 
above the sides, which gave the back a triangular shape, much 
the same as in Crotalus. 
| It Was out of the question that it could be Heterodon platy- 
rhinos, because the blowing viper has a thicker neck and tail, and 
's differently marked and colored, whereas this serpent had a very 
ected neck close to the head, and a more slender caudal ex- 
+; >? nor would it hiss or blow, which is so characteristic of 
Heterodon, 
ap thought that it might be Pituophis melanoleucus, when it 
rreg to me that a pine snake of such a thickness should be at 
oe eos as long if not ‘more so, and then the very flat, triangu- 
: R eal such a possibility as that, not to speak of the 
male the specific name would indicate. 
* ka. poii not a species of Tropidonotus either, although at a 
kai a of the duskier specimens might be taken for a cop- 
ot ~_ Sut we never find water snakes very far from their ele- 
Many years ago, when collectin Chelonians f 
1 > g many Chelonians for my 
~ tS in Germany, I frequently started up unusualiy fine speci- 
ofa ie ae 
