38 
Transactions Texas Academy of Science. 
a hole in the ground, or other secret cool place, and remains quiet until 
the young skin is fully ripe, and the old skin loose, when it comes out, 
and literally goes it blind until it finds something like a stiff weed to 
rub its head against to start the old shed from around its mouth ; as soon 
as it has pushed the old shed back from its head, it is all right, for it can 
then 1 see its way. In crawling around, the old shed gets caught on vege- 
tation, and the snake crawls out of it, leaving it inverted. I witnessed 
this performance several times in Calhoun County in July and August; 
one snake which I dug out of the ground, in August, and found the old 
shed loose, I assisted in changing its dress. Just before shedding, the 
colors of the skin almost disappear, and in a freshly shed specimen the 
colors are very bright and beautiful. 
The rattler is not afraid of water, and when he wishes to emigrate, the 
bay is no drawback. In sailing across Keller’s Bay I once met a fine 
specimen swimming from the north side of the bay to a point of land 
known as Sand Point on the south side of the bay, distant about four 
miles. When seen the snake was near the mi die of the bay. At another 
time I found one in the middle of Espiritu Santo Bay, going from the 
mainland to Matagorda Island. In both cases, the snakes seemed to have 
a well defined purpose. 
As cool weather approaches, rattlers drift to the bay bluff where there 
are fissures and holes made by water; or to some well drained ridge 
where holes are dug by small animals, and at first frost enter these holes 
and pass the winter in a torpid condition. They are neither selfish nor 
select in their company in winter quarters, as will be seen by the con- 
tents of some of the dens which I have dug out. 
No. 1. Situajted on the bank of Cox’s Creek, Jackson County, con- 
tained seventeen rattlers and one coachwhip, each snake coiled separately. 
All these rattlers had wire worms in the abdominal cavity. 
No. 2. On shore of Matagorda Bay, Calhoun County, contained eight 
rattlers and one dry land tortoise. These were all in a mass about the 
size of a half bushel measure. I took the mass out and laid it in the 
sun for ai half hour or more, when they softened enough to loosen, and 
the tortoise was found in the middle of the mass. 
No. 3. On bank of Carancahua Bay, Calhoun County, contained 
one cottontail rabbit, one skunk, two coachwhips and seven rattlers. The 
rabbit had just been run into the den by a hawk; the snakes were each 
coiled to itself, and quite stiff, and were lifted out like blocks of wood. 
No. 4. Tinder a huisache bush on a; siandy ridge, Calhoun County, 
contained four very large rattlers, and two large coachwhips ; these were 
all tangled together like a 5 mass of ropes. 
No. 5. At root of catclaw bush on a, sandy ridge, Jackson County, con- 
