1232 The Copperhead. [December | j 7 
mens of Tropidonotus beside their element. But oe 
knows, their movements are far from sluggish. 
Under exciting circumstances one cannot take in the ile 
situation at once. The ground work of the flanks of my ophidian 
was of a beautiful clear yellow, intermediate between a lemon and 
orange shade, much brighter than a cream-yellow, and which pre- 
vented me from determining him at first as an Ancistrodon contor- 
trix. The specimens I had seen, dead or alive, were all more or 
less of a dusky color or dirty gray, where this one was of a yel- 
low hue. The bright, chestnut-colored, inverted Y-shaped 
blotches on the sides seemed to be confluent on the dorsal line 
with those from the other side, giving the back an appearance of 
continuous bands. It was these bands which at the first glance 
made me think that I had a yellow Crotalus before me, although 
I very much doubt whether Monmouth county at present cat 
produce sucha variety. Perhaps Professor S. Lockwood can in 
form us whether such ophidians still inhabit that part of New 
Jersey. : 
It presented anything but the “ graceful lines” in which Ho | 
garth describes the much-abused ophidian. The only ‘4 
portion of this specimen consisted in a few inches of a slen prani 
cylindrical caudal extremity. That portion of the body: from the 
region of the anus to within a few inches of the constricted pat 
of the neck, was disproportionally thick. The large flat, ti 
lar head with its sunken features, so suggestive of the hip ir 
face of a moribund individual, was anything but assuring; 
its wicked-looking eye was suggestive of “ touch me 
dare.” 
However, in point of color he was a rare beauty; the 
and clean-looking scales reflected the sunlight in a degree = 
only to a varnished leather belt. The blotches on the dorsum 
sides in shade of color resembled that of a horse-chestat 
and well defined were the colors and markings. 
thereafter I found an ophidian “ overall,” and not a 
where I encountered him. I think that the fashionab i ; 
tight trousers” belonged to my Ancistrodon. I threw ait 
over an Indian hemp plant, calculating to take it ole vi 
for future identification, when on looking for it a! after If 
it was gone. A light breeze might have lifted and car 
