The Poisonous Snakes of Texas. 
41 
his sole medical advisers; melted lard internally, and cold water appli- 
cations externally were the only remedies nsed. He was always bitten 
on the head; and on one occasion, I drew a curved fang from his nose 
three-fonrths of an inch long. He died of old age. I have known a 
great many dogs to he bitten by rattlesnakes, and I have known only 
two to die; both of these were left several miles from home, in mid 
summer, and when found the next day were dead; the heat and exhaus- 
tion may have helped to cause death. 
I know that I am flying in the face of all that I have read about the 
breeding habits of Croialus, when I say that they deposit their eggs. I 
will not say that they do not sometimes retain their eggs until hatching 
time and then bring forth the young alive; (for I have opened females 
bearing eggs, in which incubation was well under way) ; but I have 
never witnessed this performance; whereas I have frequently found the 
eggs, guarded by the mother snake, which fought till death for their 
protection. It is true that I have never found perfectly fresh eggs in a 
nest, they were always ready or nearly ready to hatch, the thin shell or 
envelope having lost its roundness and crinkled in around the young 
snake. Another theory which may throw some light on this point, is, 
that the writers who speak of rattlesnakes bringing forth live young, 
made their observations upon snakes in captivity; which condition may 
have had some influence upon them, causing them to retain their eggs 
until hatched and the young snakes were brought forth alive. My 
observations were made with wild snakes in a state of nature. I will 
leave the reconciliation of these contradictory facts to future observers. 
The flesh of the rattlesnake is white and palatable, very much resemb- 
ling the breast of quail in look and flavor. The oil makes a fine founda- 
tion for a liniment, and is used by old ranchmen on sorebacked horses; 
and it is claimed to be a specific for rheumatism. 
CKO TALUS HORRIDTJS, Linnceus. 
(“Banded Rattlesnake.”) 
Plate VIII. 
DESCRIPTION. 
“Head angular. Scales between the superciliaries small, numerous, 
uniform. Plates above the snout, two anterior frontal (internasals) 
and five post frontal (prefrontals) . Suborbital chain continuous, of 
large scales; two rows between this and labials. Labials 12 to 14 above, 
fifth largest; thirteen to fifteen below. Rows of scales on the back 
twenty-three to twenty-five, all carinated; carination on outer row obso- 
lete. Tail black. Above sulphur brown, with two rows of confluent 
