88 
The Western Diamond Rattlesnake (C. atrox ) and 
the Horned Rattlesnake ( C. cerastes ) come from Texas, 
Arizona, and New Mexico. The South American species (C. 
durissus) reaches a large size. 
Say’s Rattlesnake (C. confluentus') is the most wide¬ 
spread species of the plains. 
The Ground Rattlesnake ( Sistrurus miliarius') and the 
Prairie Rattlesnake (S. catenatus') are small species from 
the south and west. 
The Water Moccasin ( Ancistrodon piscivorus) is confined 
to the wet and swampy lands throughout the south. 
The Copperhead (. A . contortrix') is found almost all over 
the United States east of the Rocky mountains. 
Many highly venomous crotaline snakes are found in trop¬ 
ical America, a number of which belong to the genus Lache- 
sis , such as the dreaded Fer de Lance (Z. lanceolatus') of St. 
Lucia and Martinique and Z. atrox from South America. 
The vipers belong altogether to the old world; they much 
resemble the crotaline snakes, but externally lack the pit on 
the side of the muzzle, referred to above. Like rattlesnakes, 
they have the pre-maxillary bone, bearing the poison fang, 
hinged, as it were, so that the fang can be erected for use, at 
other times lying back against the roof of the mouth, like the 
blade of a closed knife. A typical member of this group 
is the Puff Adder ( Vipera arietans ) of South Africa. The 
Common Viper (V. herns') and the Long-nosed Viper (K 
ammodytes) are natives of Europe. 
The cobras and the elapine snakes, known as proteroglyphs , 
while highly venomous, have fixed fangs, and are nearly re¬ 
lated to the harmless colubrine snakes. Some of these last, 
having an opisthoglyph dentition, that is, having a long grooved 
tooth in the back of the upper jaw, are poisonous to small 
animals, though not dangerous to man. 
The Coral Snake (. Elaps fulvius) of the Southern States 
is of a very mild disposition, and has hardly ever been 
known to bite, although in proportion to its size it is 
probably very highly venomous. It is one of the most 
beautiful of the order, being ringed with red, black, and 
