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IlEPTILES. 



Snakes are very numerous in thinly settled part^ 

 of the United States. Of the genus coluber twenty^ 

 species are enumerated ; of the genus unguis there 

 are five ; and one amphisbena^ or two-headed snake» 



Among all the serpents of North America, none 

 has excited so much notice as the crotalus horridus^ 

 or rattle-snake. 



The absurd accounts published in Europe, by early 

 travellers in America, respecting this snake deserve 

 no attention. What is here given may be considered 

 as the result of observation or experiment. Besides 

 the well-known crotalus horridus, there is anotherj 

 viz. the crotalus miliaris^ called ground rattle-snake, 

 because it keeps itself frequently under ground. 

 There is a third species, a non-descript, and known 

 by the name of water rattle -snake ; it is longer than 

 the former, and confines itself to low ground. They 

 may be easily distinguished from one another. On 

 th€ back of the crotalus horridus^ there are brown 

 transversal lines terminated on each side by a spot 

 almost round, of the same colour. The back of the 

 r. miliaris is covered with lozenge-shaped spots of 

 a browner colour than the rest of tlie body, and ter* 

 minated by a yellow border. 



Dr. Briciell of Savannah, has lately announced the 

 discovery by him of four new species of crotalusm 

 One is nearly black, with a chain of white lined 

 rl^ombi on the back^ thi3 be has named crQtalu^ 



