Rattlesnake

Rattlesnake, any individual of the genus Crotalus, with about fifteen species, mostly North American, though one (C. durissus) ranges to Brazil. The tail bears a rattle of horny rings, erroneously said to indicate the age of the snake, its years being supposed to correspond to the number of the rings. New rings are probably added when the skin is cast, but in all probability sloughing takes place more than once a year, as in our common snake. Rattlesnakes are generally nocturnal; they are extremely venomous, the bite generally proving fatal to man. They rarely attack unless provoked or in pursuit of food. The stories told of their powers of fascination are groundless; and the rattle seems to be used to warn off intruders rather than to entice prey or bring mates near. The coloration varies; it may be brownish, blackish, or yellow with dark spots, frequently bordered with yellow on the back and sides. Ranmer, Friedrich Ludwig Georg von (1781-1873), historian, was born in Anhalt, and studied at Halle and Gottingen. He became professor of history at Breslau and at Berlin, and was ambassador to'the French Republic about 1848. His most notable works are The History of the Hohenstanfen and their Times (1823-25), and History of Europe (1832-50), but he wrote many others of merit.