87 
venomous snakes belonging to North America are the different 
varieties of the rattlesnake, the moccasin, the copperhead, 
and the coral snake. With the exception of the latter, 
these belong to the family Crotalidce , distinguished by the 
presence of a deep pit on the side of the muzzle between the 
eye and the mouth, and by the possession of a pair of poison 
fangs in the upper jaw, which are erectable at will. 
The rattlesnakes are common to the whole United States, 
even extending into Canada, and becoming more plenti¬ 
ful towards the south, where they grow to a large size, some¬ 
times reaching as much as seven 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, 
of giving notice to their enemies that they are not to be 
trifled with without danger. The number of buttons, as the 
sections into which the rattle is divided are termed, has been 
commonly supposed to be a means of determining the age of 
the snake, but as they are frequently lost by accident, and are 
as frequently produced three or four at a time, it is evident 
that this belief, with a number of others of equally loose 
foundation which invest the popular mind regarding the ser¬ 
pent, may as well be abandoned. 
It may be well here to dispose of two more of these 
delusions which meet with very general acceptance. 
First .—The slender, forked organ, frequently and rapidly 
protruded from the mouth of snakes is not its “stinger,” 
but is no more nor less than the tongue. No serpent has a 
sting or weapon of any kind other than its teeth. 
Second .—There is no rational basis for the belief in a 
power of fascination consciously exerted by a snake upon its 
prey. The occurrences brought forward in support of the 
notion can be accounted for on purely psychological 
grounds. 
There are some fifteen species of rattlesnake found within 
the limits of the United States, eleven of which are known 
only in the extreme south-west, the fauna of which is closely 
related to that of Mexico and Central America. 
The Banded Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus') and the 
Diamond Rattlesnake (C. adamanteus ) are the most well- 
marked species of this genus; the former being most com¬ 
mon in the Eastern and Middle States, while the latter ranges 
from North Carolina to Texas. 
