THE LIZARD AND 77\s ALLIED 



more. Not being' poisonous their bite is not dangerous, 

 l>ut they attack large birds and even medium-sized mam- 

 mals and crush them to death in the folds of their body. 



The family Elapidae : includes the large venomous ser- 

 pents of the East, the cobra of the East Indies, and the asp 

 of the Egyptians. The bite of these serpents is quickly 



m \ 



i \ , i 



IR^^fevfck 



BMMb. 



Fi<;. 2HO. Elapx coralluia, a harlequin snake of South America allied to the 

 l)ead-snake of the South. From " Standard Natural History," after Brehin. 



fatal to man. To this family belongs also the bead-snake 

 of our Southern States, which is however harmless (Fig. 

 260). 



The Crotalidae 2 include the rattlesnakes, characteristic of 

 America. 3 Of this family the most dangerous is the water- 



. an unknown snake of the ancients. 



/, clapper. 3 Figs. 261, 262. 



