STRIPED RATTLE-SNAKE. 



353 



part is also liable from its nature to occasional 

 mutilations, it cannot be considered as a proper 

 test of the animal's age. 



The length of the individual dissected by Dr. 

 Tyson, was four feet five inches ; the girth of the 

 body in the largest part six inches and a half ; 

 that of the neck three inches, and of the extre- 

 mity of the tail^ near the rattle, two inches. 



From his description of its colour, it should 

 rather seem to have been the Crotalus Durissus or 

 next species, than the present, since he tells us 

 the scales on the back made a curious chequer or 

 dappling by the intermixture of its colours. The 

 number of abdominal scuta was l68. Beyond 

 the vent were two half-scales, and thence nine- 

 teen scuta or whole scales ; while from thence to 

 the rattle itself were six orders or rows of smaller 

 scales. 



STRIPED RATTLE-SNAKE. 



Cortalus Durissus. C.fuscus, strik rhombeatis siibflaUi, 

 - Brown Rattle-Snake, with yellowish rhomboid stripes, 

 Crotalus Durissus. Lin. Syst, Nat. p. 372. 

 Abdominal scuta 172, subcaudal 21. 



This species may, in general, be readily distin- 

 guished from the former by the different disposi- 

 tion of its colours, being of a deep brown above, 

 with a very regularly conducted pattern of pale- 

 yellow streaks, so disposed as to form a continued 

 series of large rhombs or lozenges down the back. 



