Chap. XII. REPTILES. 31 



" this incumbrance lie could not withdraw himself ; 

 " finding this, he reluctantly disgorged the precious 

 " morsel, which began to move off ; this was too much 

 *' for snake philosophy to bear, and the toad was again 

 " seized, and again was the snake, after violent efforts 

 " to escape, compelled to part with its prey. Tliis time, 

 "however, a lesson liad been learnt, and tlie toad^was 

 " seized by one leg, withdrawn, and then swallowed in 

 " triumph." 



It does not, however, follow because snakes have 

 some reasoning power and strong passions, that they 

 should likewise be endowed with sufficient taste to 

 admire brilliant colours in their partners, so as to 

 lead to the adornment of the species through sexual 

 selection. Nevertheless it is difficult to account in 

 any other manner for the extreme beauty of certain 

 species ; for instance, of the coral-snakes of S. America, 

 which are of a rich red with black and yellow transverse 

 bands. I well remember how much surprise I felt at 

 the beauty of the first coral-snake which I saw gliding 

 across a path in Brazil. Snakes coloured in this peculiar 

 manner, as Mr. Wallace states on the authority of Dr. 

 Giinther,^^ are found nowhere else in the world except 

 in S. America, and here no less than four genera occur. 

 One of these, Elaps, is venomous ; a second and widely- 

 distinct genus is doubtfully venomous, and the two others 

 are quite harmless. The species belonging to these dis- 

 tinct genera inhabit the same districts, and are so like 

 each other, that no one " but a naturalist would distin- 

 " guish the harmless from the poisonous kinds." Hence, 

 as Mr. Wallace believes, the innocuous kinds have pro- 

 bably acquired their colours as a j)i'otection, on the 

 principle of imitation ; for they would naturally be 



5-* 'Westminster Eeview,' July 1st, 18G7, p. 32. 



