experiment. The death of the snake is due not so much to the effect. of 
the sunts rays as to the combination of solar heat and radiation from 
the rocks or sand on which the snake is lying, frequently raising the 
air temperature to a very high point. Such excessive temperatures 
quickly raise the temperatures of cold-blooded snakes cven beyond the 
apparent maxinum of 46° C. which they can tolerate. 
FOOD HABITS 
Examination of all accessible accounts of the food habits of the 
poisonous snakes indicates that rattlesnekes feed on any sort of smaller 
vertebrates thet may come within their reach. The following items have 
been found upon examination of stomachs: Ground squirrels, chipmunks, 
pocket gophers, young prairie dogs, kangaroo rats, deer mice, meadow 
mice, and cottontail rabbits; various small lizards, such as Uta, 
Cnemidophorus, and Gerrhonotus; frogs and toads; and occasionally birds 
as large as quail. 

The food habits of the copperhead and cotton-mouth water moccasin, 
judging from published accounts, are essentially like those of the rattle— 
snaxe, except that more aquatic vertebrates, such as turtles and round— 
tailed water rats, are available for the water moccasin. 
The harlequin snake does most of its feeding at night, capturing 
small snekes and lizards, perticularly skinks (Eumeces). 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
GD Amarin. dor 
1925. A general consideration of sneke poisoning and observations 
on neotropical pit vipers. Contrib, Harvard, Insvaairop. 
Brod, and Media 2s Om ODiersa dl luisrs 
(2) ———— 
1927. Notes on nearctic poisonous snakes and treatment of their bites. 
Antivenin Inst. Amer. Bull. 1(3): 61-76, iilus. 
Oa 
1927. The anti-snake bite campaign in Texas and in the subtropical 
United States. Antivenin Inst. Amer. Bull. 1 (3)e 77-8o. 
(4) 

1928. Studies on snake venoms, amounts of venom secreted by nearctic 
pit vipers. Antivenin Inst. Amer. Buli. 1 (4): 103-10). 
(5) Antivenin Institute of’ America. 
1927-1932. Bulletin. 5 vols.” 'Glenollden,Pa. (Ceased publication,May 193 
(6)) Barbour, “Ts 
1922. Rattlesnakes and spitting snakes. Copeia 106: 36-38. 
(7) Boulenger, 5, G. 
1914(?) Reptiles and batrachians. 278 pp., illus., New York. 
Eh Die 
