6o 
Of the Batrachians, the Siren {Siren lacertind), and the 
Proteus (J\ienobranchus maculatus) are usually in the collec- 
tion. The former is found in the soft mud of streams and 
ditches from Georgia southward. The specimen in the Gar- 
den rarely comes out of the mud, except to get the worms on 
which it principally lives. The Menobranchus or Proteus is 
from the fresh-water streams and lakes of the Middle States, 
and feeds upon worms, grubs, and larv^. 
The Hell Bender or Mud Devil {^Menopoma alleghenien- 
sis) is found in the river mud of all tributaries of the Missis- 
sippi, and occasionally in other localities in the Gulf States. 
The Salamanders and Tritons, or Newts, are found plenti- 
fully all over the United States. Many of them live entirely 
in the water, except at the breeding season. The Red- 
backed Salamander {^Plethodon cinereus var. erythronotus), 
the Two-lined Salamander {Spelerpes bi-lineatus), the Red 
Salamander {Spelerpes rtiber), and the Black Newt {JDesmog- 
nathus nigra), are among the most common species. 
The Toads and Frogs have a range co-extensive with the 
last. The Common Toad {^Bufo lentiginosus) being found all 
over North America, with a number of well-marked varieties. 
The best known of the Frogs are the Bull Frog {Rana 
catesbiana), the Swamp Frog {Rana palustris), the Brook 
Frog {Rana cla7nitans), and the Shad Frog {Rana hale cinai). 
The North American fauna possesses a large and varied num- 
ber of serpents {Ophidid), members of which order are found 
all over the world. The only venomous snakes belonging to 
Nerth America are the different varieties of the Rattlesnake, 
the Moccasin, the Copperhead, and the Harlequin Snake. 
With the exception of the latter, these belong to the family 
Crotalidce, distinguished by the presence of a deep pit between 
the eye and the mouth, and by the possession of a pair of 
poison fangs in the upper jaw, which are erectible at will. 
The Rattlesnake is common to the whole United States, 
very rarely reaching into Canada, and becoming more plenti- 
ful towards the South, where they grow to a large size, some- 
times reaching as much as six feet in length. They are 
characterized by a horny outgrowth of the epidermis at the 
end of the tail, known as the rattle, with which they make a 
whirring noise when excited, with the effect, it is presumed, 
