epression or pit which gives to this group
of snakes their name. There are two large, exceedingly sharp fangs in the
front of the mouth, in the position of a dog's canine teeth, that are
folded up against the roof of the mouth when the snake is in
repose;--being brought forward in a position for stabbing as the serpent
strikes. The scales on the under surface of the body back of the anus do
not divide along the middle line into two rows, as in harmless snakes.

_Ground Rattlesnakes._--There are two species of the pygmy or
ground-rattlesnakes. They attain to a length of only about twenty inches,
and present the general characteristics of the true rattlesnakes, with
the exception that the rattle is small, consisting of but one single
button at the end of the tail. These serpents are exceedingly vicious,
and usually bite without warning. Contrary to the general opinion,
however, the wounds they inflict are rarely, or never, followed by
serious consequences in man. One species is southern. The other occurs
from Ohio to Nebraska, where it is called massasauga.

_Cotton-Mouth Moccasin._--The largest specimens of the cotton-mouth
moccasin attain to a length of about six feet. The full grown reptile is
of a dingy brownish-black color, but the young are pinkish, with coppery
bands running transversely across the body. With the exception that this
reptile has no rattles, it answers in its general peculiarities to the
description already given of its near relatives the rattlesnakes. The
cotton-mouth moccasin is semi-aquatic, being found around the edges of
streams and other bodies of water.

_The Copper-head, or Highland Moccasin._--This serpent is found from
Florida and Illinois to southern Massachusetts; also in parts of Texas.
The largest specimens have a length of about three feet. They resemble
the cotton-mouth moccasin in their general peculiarities, being, however,
somewhat lighter in color. The head has a coppery tinge, from which the
snake gets its name, while the body is of a brownish color, with
transverse Y-shaped bands of reddish-brown. Its favorite habitat is rocky
hill-sides and the banks of mountain water-courses.

_Coral-snakes._--The two coral-snakes resemble each other very closely,
and are long slender serpents, whose heads are quite small, and scarcely
differentiated from their bodies. The pupils are round, and the head has
no pits. They possess two short permanently erect fangs, which are by no
means so we